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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27236458">Trophies on a Wall</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GilliganGoodfellow/pseuds/GilliganGoodfellow'>GilliganGoodfellow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Children of Dyn Marv [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aftermath of Violence, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Anxiety Attacks, Bathing/Washing, Blood and Injury, Cutagens | Cute Effects of Mutagens (The Witcher), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Families of Choice, Family Feels, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Healing, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Illusions, Implied / Referenced child death, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Injury Recovery, Kaer Morhen's Fanon Hot Springs (The Witcher), Keira hates rats, Love Confessions, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Misunderstandings, Mutagens, Muteness, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, References to Depression, Renders, Self Loathing, Self-Esteem Issues, Smut, Starvation, Tender Sex, Tenderness, Trauma, Witcher Whump Week (The Witcher)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:01:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>40,569</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27236458</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GilliganGoodfellow/pseuds/GilliganGoodfellow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>10 crowns</p><p>“Witcher, please understand, we have children to feed.”</p><p>Gaetan bites down on the anger. Nods. Takes back the ghoul’s head. Nods again. </p><p>Geralt gave him a chance. </p><p>---</p><p>Lambert brings Gaetan to Kaer Morhen for the winter.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eskel / Letho z Gulety | Letho of Gulet / Gaetan, Eskel/Gaetan (The Witcher), Eskel/Letho z Gulety | Letho of Gulet, Gaetan &amp; Letho z Gulety | Letho of Gulet, Gaetan/Letho z Gulety | Letho of Gulet, Lambert &amp; Gaetan (The Witcher), Lambert/Keira Metz, Sigismund Dijkstra &amp; Francis Bedlam, Sigismund Dijkstra &amp; Kiyan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Children of Dyn Marv [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2198511</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>344</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>279</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Vipurr: A Collection of Cat and Snake in Love (or just Murder Husbands), Witcher Whump Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Winter that Year</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/embeer2004/gifts">embeer2004</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Inspired by</p><p>https://marbienl13.tumblr.com/image/632965229927628801</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> 10 crowns </em>
</p><p>“Witcher, please understand, we have children to feed.”</p><p>Gaetan bites down on the anger. Nods. Takes back the ghoul’s head. Nods again. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Geralt gave him a chance.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Keep your coin. Feed your kids.”</p><p>“Oh Witcher. Gods bless your kind heart. Thank you for ridding us of the beast.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Geralt gave him a chance.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>He goes back to his hideout.</p><p>Ten crowns would not have covered the cost of the blade oil, much less food. Even if he had accepted the coin, which he didn’t because Geralt wouldn’t have. Geralt would have let the children eat. So Gaetan did.</p><p>Because Geralt gave him a chance. </p><p>He starts to attach the ghoul head to a frame. Another trophy for his wall. </p><p>Another bad contract. </p><p>No...not bad. The village is safe. The <em> children </em> are safe. This is a <em> good </em> trophy. This is what Geralt wants.</p><p>So he’s not angry. He’s not angry. He won’t lose his temper. Won’t fight. Won’t...not again. No more like Honorton.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Geralt gave him a chance.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>So he lets them feed their kids. Fights their monsters. Eats...when did he last eat? He can’t...the ground is frozen. No more berries or foxes to catch in traps. He bathed in the stream until the cold hurt.</p><p>He promised Geralt.</p><p>He should demand more, but Geralt gave him a chance.</p><p>No more like Honorton.</p><p>No more.</p><p>But...it’s…</p><p>He promised Geralt.</p><p>No more like Honorton.</p><p>No more. </p><p>But he’s not a good person.</p><p>He’s a monster. That’s all he knows how to be. He can’t...he can’t…he...</p><p>He hasn’t eaten in days. Berries don’t grow now.</p><p> </p><p>Sat in his hideout, Gaetan drops the ghoul head and screams. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Letho kisses Eskel like it’s been years since their lips last met, before leaning up with a predatory smile. Another kiss to Eskel’s neck, chest, stomach, and then Letho’s mouth takes him at the same time as fingers stroke down Eskel’s thigh to enter him. </p><p>“I...I don’t think..." Eskel swallows. "Letho, I don’t think I’ve got another one in me.”</p><p>Letho lifts his head. “Sure you have.” His breath ghosts over Eskel before the mouth returns, and it’s slow, leisurely, a buildup fighting exhaustion that passes over Eskel in gentle trembles, hands clutching at bedsheets and the scarred side of his face pressing into the pillow as Letho keeps going and going and going. The wolf isn’t sure which will give out first, Letho’s stamina or his own cardiovascular system.</p><p>Fingers are replaced with Letho’s own member, hands on either side of the other witcher’s chest as he moves, and the extra stimulation so soon after tipping over the edge makes Eskel utter an inhuman sound that he will never admit to as he wraps his arms around Letho, and wills him to continue. </p><p>Letho groans as his own orgasm finally hits after hours, days (it might have been days) of Eskel feeling pleasure after pleasure, and the viper pulls out and lays to rest against the Witcher’s chest, Eskel’s hand stroking the back of his head.</p><p>“So <em> that’s </em> why they call you a Kingslayer.” Eskel says. </p><p>Letho’s laughter is like an explosion throughout his body, at a volume that even the Viper doesn’t know he is capable of, so different from his usual quiet drawl. </p><p>When did Letho become so happy?</p><p>He rolls off of Eskel, and reaches for the washcloth and basin, using Igni to heat the water before saturating the washcloth. “Hungry?”</p><p>“After <em> that </em>. I could eat a fucking cockatrice.”</p><p>“Wouldn’t recommend it.” Letho says as he rinses the cloth and starts to clean Eskel’s skin. “Toxin ain’t good for the system when raw.”</p><p>“Voice of experience?”</p><p>“Not my experience.” Letho re-wets the washcloth, rinses it, and continues to clean Eskel, before picking up another cloth to wipe himself with.</p><p>“Nap now.” Eskel says, yawning as he settles into the bed. “Food later.”</p><p>“Not a good way round.”</p><p>“Don’t care.” </p><p>“Stay there.” Letho chuckles, and runs his free hands through Eskel’s hair. “I’ll get food.”</p><p>The wolf grins. “Always looking after me.”</p><p>Putting the cloth down, Letho reaches for his clothes. “Someone’s got to, Esk”</p><p>He starts to get dressed, looking round when Eskel hasn’t replied. </p><p>The wolf is staring at him, thoughtfully. </p><p>“You’re a good person, Letho.”</p><p>“Just do what feels right.” Letho shrugs. “That ain’t always what people would call good. I aint safe.”</p><p>He picks up his shirt, his back to Eskel as he pulls it on. </p><p>“I feel safe with you.” Eskel says.</p><p>Letho is still for a long time, eyes on the floor, thoughtful. Then he takes a breath, and turns to look at Eskel.</p><p>To find the wolf fast asleep, curled up in the furs.</p><p>
  <em> I feel safe with you. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You make me feel safe.  </em>
</p><p>And Letho nods, unable to find the words in his mind to explain the warm feeling in his chest and stomach. </p><p>He makes someone feel safe. Protected. Cared for. </p><p>And...it feels good. </p><p>He...<em> likes </em> looking after people.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>He promised Geralt.</p><p>No more like Honorton.</p><p>No more. </p><p>But he’s not a good person.</p><p>He’s a monster. That’s all he knows how to be. He can’t...he can’t…</p><p>He can’t…</p><p>Because a monster doesn’t know how not to be a monster.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“You seem to be lost.”</p><p>“Keira, I’ve been here <em> twice </em> in twenty years.” Lambert counters, while searching their surroundings for <em> something </em> that looks familiar. There, a tree branch that looks like the symbol for quen. He remembers pointing it out to Aiden as they passed under it. “This way.”</p><p>The coin bag is heavy on his belt. The one he and Keira had put together between them before setting off. Because this is Aiden’s brother, someone who had meant as much to the fallen cat as Geralt and Eskel mean to Lambert. As much as Triss and Yennefer mean to Keira. </p><p>And Aiden’s death doesn’t stop Gaetan from being their family in the winter. </p><p>“I just want to make sure he’s alright.” Lambert had said. “It’s already cold.”</p><p>Keira smiled. “How did I earn such a caring, thoughtful man?”</p><p>“You saved my life.”</p><p>“Oh yes.” Keira kissed him. “I remember now.”</p><p>And they had set off for Valen. </p><p>And finally, Lambert is walking with confidence, recognising his surroundings and the trap door built into the hole in the ground ahead of them. “Gaetan?”</p><p>No answer.</p><p>“Gaetan? It’s Lambert.” Still no answer as Lambert lifts the lid to the hideout. </p><p>Keira tenses, looking at Lambert as she rests a hand on his shoulder. </p><p>“He’s in there...but…oh…”</p><p>“Keira?” Lambert looks at her.</p><p>She nods, and then takes off her scarf, concentrating. After a moment, the red cloth grows into a thick blanket, one that she hands to Lambert. “You were right to come here.”</p><p>Lambert takes the blanket, and nods before jumping into the hideout.</p><p>“Gaetan…”</p><p>The witcher is sat with his back against the far wall, a ghoul’s head next to his feet, his hands wrapped around his head, eyes staring head and unseeing of Lambert as he kneels in front of him.</p><p>“Gaetan? It’s me. It’s Lambert. Remember me? Aiden’s Wolf?” </p><p>Gaetan doesn’t look at him. “I tried.”</p><p>“I know.” Lambert smiles. He doesn’t know, he has no idea what Gaetan is talking about, but he wants to be on the cat’s side right now. An ally. “I know you did.”</p><p>“I tried.” Gaetan looks at him, his eyes as red as they are amber. “I tried.”</p><p>Lambert wraps the red blanket around Gaetan. </p><p>“I know, Gaetan.” Lambert says again. “I know.”</p><p>And all Lambert can do is let Gaetan rest his face against his shoulder, the wolf’s arm cradling the back of the cat’s head, rocking back and forth as his other hand finds Gaetan’s and holds it as tight as he can while the cat cries. And cries. And cries.</p><p>And finally cries himself into exhaustion.</p><p>“Oh Gaetan how long have you been like this?”</p><p>“I tried.” Is all Gaetan can say, his voice broken. “Please, I tried.”</p><p>“I know.” Lambert looks up as Keira appears beside him, chewing on a herb from her collection. </p><p>She tilts her head to one side. “Toussaint or Kaer Morhen?”</p><p>What?”</p><p>“Toussaint or Kaer Morhen?” She swallows the herb. “He’s clearly in no fit state to travel conventionally, so where are we going?”</p><p>“You can’t teleport three people.”</p><p>“Not if you want me to teleport three more.” Keira smiles. “But after that herb, I’m confident that I will <em> live </em>.”</p><p>Lambert looks from Keira to Gaetan. </p><p>“It’s going to be okay.” He whispers. </p><p>Then, he looks up at Keira. “Do you need him to stand?”</p><p>“Can you carry him through?”</p><p>Lambert nods, not even asking the cat before working his arms under his legs and standing, Gaetan held against his chest</p><p>“Kaer Morhen.” Lambert says. </p><p>Keira nods, and opens the portal.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> 10 crowns </em>
</p><p>Gaetan can hear voices but not words. He can feel himself being lifted, but doesn’t know where he is being taken. </p><p>He isn’t afraid.</p><p>He doesn’t deserve Geralt’s chance.</p><p>Maybe they’re taking him to be punished. </p><p>Good. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Kaer Morhen that year</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Curled over the table in a manner and posture that would probably make Ermion scream, Ciri stirs the stew in her bowl for a moment before eating a spoonful, chewing the chunky bits of meat and vegetables and closing her eyes as the flavours fill her mouth. </p><p>Having arrived in Kaer Morhen that morning, this is her first hot dinner in days and she is enjoying every moment of it. Enjoying the warmth of the fire near the table. And just enjoying the sense of home. </p><p>Oh Geralt invited Ciri to winter in Toussaint, of course. But while Toussaint is lovely, it isn’t Kaer Morhen. It isn’t the halls where Vesemir carried her around on his shoulders, or the laboratory where Lambert taught her potions, or the yard where Eskel and Geralt trained her with sword and crossbow. </p><p>It isn’t the wall overlooking the yard where Ciri and Triss had sat, sharing stories until long into the evening. </p><p>She’ll visit Geralt in the spring.</p><p>She looks up as Letho enters the main hall. </p><p>“Eskel still alive?”</p><p>“Why wouldn’t he be?” The viper says.</p><p>She smirks. “Because they could hear him in Lan Exeter.”</p><p>The witcher chuckles as he disappears into the kitchen, returning a moment later with another bowl of stew, and a tankard of ale.</p><p>Sipping from her own tankard, Ciri wipes her mouth with the back of her fingers before picking up another spoonful of her stew.</p><p>Letho holds up his spoon. “Sorry for the noise.”</p><p>“Don’t be.” She smiles. “I’m glad. Eskel deserves to be happy.”</p><p>Letho nods, expression blank as he looks at his stew.</p><p>“Do you love him?” Ciri asks.</p><p>“Don’t know.” Letho shrugs. “Don’t know what love feels like.”</p><p>Ciri looks away for a moment, thinking about what she wants to say. “Does he make <em> you </em>happy?”</p><p>Letho nods.</p><p>“Then that’s good.” She puts more of the stew in her mouth and they pass a quiet moment, eating and drinking in a companionable silence. </p><p>“Still want to train with twin swords tomorrow?”</p><p>“You were being serious?” Ciri looks up at him, smiling.</p><p>Letho shrugs. “Never been much of a teacher, so don’t expect me to be as good as Vesemir.”</p><p>“Doesn’t matter. I’d welcome the chance to learn a new technique. Anything that makes me better on the path.”</p><p>“Be up early then, Princess.”</p><p>“I’ll be awake before you.” She winks, and sips her ale.</p><p>They both lower their tankards as the Keep’s front door vibrates, someone banging against it.</p><p>Ciri looks at Letho, and in a flash of blue light she is against the wall around the corner from the door, sword drawn.</p><p>Letho nods, drawing his own sword as he approaches the door.</p><p>More banging.</p><p>Ciri can’t help but remember the Wild Hunt banging on the gates of Kaer Morhen. </p><p>
  <em> Ladd nawh </em>
</p><p>Letho growls, and opens the door. </p><p>“You?” Lambert’s voice.</p><p>“Lambert.” Ciri is around the corner in a literal flash, hugging the witcher. When he doesn’t return it, she steps back, eyes on his face. He looks...haunted. </p><p>“Where’s Keira?” Ciri asks, swallowing.</p><p>“I had to…” He shakes his head. “Letho, I’ll need you.”</p><p>The viper nods silently, following Lambert out into the cold yard. It’s pitch black, but some well placed ignis from Letho light the lamps surrounding the area, and there is Keira, knelt on the cold ground with...Letho doesn’t recognise them, but the armour is that of the cat school...curled up against her lap as if sleeping. Except his eyes are open, and staring ahead.</p><p>Keira looks dazed, exhausted and possibly in pain from exertion of her magic, but her focus is clearly on the man left to her care. Her hands rest on his head and shoulder, her eyes on his face before she looks up and smiles. “Cirilla.”</p><p>“Keira.” She kneels beside the sorceress, resting a hand on her back. “What happened?”</p><p>“To me? Nothing a lie down and a cup of your herbal tea won't be putting right. But he...”</p><p>"He'll need more than tea." Ciri nods, stooping down to Gaetan's eye level. “Hello.”</p><p>“He's a friend.” Lambert says. </p><p>"What attacked him?" Letho asks.</p><p>"The path."</p><p>Letho nods, kneeling in front of Keira and gently lifting the smaller witcher into his arms before standing. </p><p>“See to your girl, Lambert. I’ve got this one.”</p><p>“Gaetan.” Lambert says. “His name’s Gaetan.”</p><p>“What?" Ciri looks from Gaetan to Lambert. “The beast of Honorton? You’ve brought <em> him </em> here?”</p><p>“He’s ill, Ciri…”</p><p>“You <em> know </em> what he did.” Ciri argues. “All those people, Lambert…”</p><p>“Cirilla.” Keira whispers, taking hold of the girl’s hand. “Look at him. Who are the beasts if we leave him to the cold tonight?”</p><p>“You’re right.” Ciri nods, sighing. “Eskel's asleep, I’ll wake him.” </p><p>“Thanks, kid.” Lambert waits for Ciri to leave, then helps Keira to stand. </p><p>“I’m fine.” She says, stumbling slightly. “You need to be with Gaetan.”</p><p>“But…”</p><p>“Lambert. He needs you. Help me to the keep, please, but <em>then</em> focus on him.”</p><p>Lambert nods, bringing Keira’s arm around his shoulder as he walks her towards the main doors. “Thank you.”</p><p>“What would you do without me?” She smiles, exhaustion clear on her face as she leans against him. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Warmth. That is all Letho can think about as he carries the blanket clad Gaetan into the keep. His skin is cold, he needs warmth. </p><p>So Letho sits on the sofa by the fire, adjusting his hold so that the smaller witcher is sat in his lap, curled up against his chest with Letho’s large hand guiding his head to the viper’s shoulder. </p><p>Gaetan’s eyes are still open, unfocused as they stare out from a face that is a picture of misery and maybe some fear. He's far from relaxed, and he doesn’t respond with anything except a hitch in his breathing as Letho pulls him closer. </p><p>“You’re safe here, Gaetan.” He says, free hand coming up to cup the side of the witcher’s face, thumb stroking the area under his eye. “Take a moment. Rest. Sleep if you can. I’ll keep watch.”</p><p>Sitting Keira down to rest on the end of the sofa, Lambert turns to Letho. “He awake enough to eat?”</p><p>“There’s stew in the kitchen.” Letho nods. “Just bring the broth, easy on the stomach.”</p><p>“Yeah.” Lambert nods.</p><p>He returns a moment later, a stew bowl and spoon in one hand that he hands to a grateful Keira, before perching on the edge of the sofa with a mug of the broth. </p><p>“Hey, Gaetan. You hungry?”</p><p>The cat witcher’s lips part as the mug is held against them, gulping the broth down. He makes no effort to take the cup though, his hands remaining limp in his lap. </p><p>“That’s okay.” Letho says, speaking near his ear. “You rest. Let us take care of you.”</p><p>Lambert smiles, his hand cupping the back of Gaetan’s head as he holds up the mug again, letting him take another gulp of the broth. “That’s it.”</p><p>Lambert takes the now empty mug away, and he rests it on the floor before looking back at the witcher. Gaetan still seems to be disconnected from reality, slow blinking the only indicator that he is awake at all as Letho holds him closer.</p><p>“I tried.”</p><p>Letho and Lambert both startle at the broken voice.</p><p>“Please. I tried.”</p><p>"Tried what?" Letho asks.</p><p>"I don't know." Lambert whispers, before turning his attention back to Gaetan. “We know, Gaetan. I told you, remember. We know you tried. It’s alright. You’re forgiven. I promise.”</p><p>“Be patient with him, Lambert.” Keira says, quietly. “Poor thing. He’s beyond what he can bear. Holding on to thoughts and memories must be like holding on to water right now.”</p><p>“Been there.” Letho nods, before pressing a kiss to Gaetan’s head, for no reason than that it feels right. If Gaetan is living in the single moment, then Letho is determined to fill that moment with safety and care.</p><p>And he <em> is </em> safe. Eskel had said he felt safe with Letho.</p><p>He wants to make <em> this </em> man feel safe too.</p><p>Because suddenly nothing is more important in this world than fixing the damage that has been done to the broken creature in his arms. Than seeing what Gaetan looks like with life in his eyes, and a smile on his face. </p><p>It isn’t love. Letho wouldn’t know love if he <em> did </em> feel it. And it isn’t the sort of happiness that Eskel gives him.</p><p>It is its own thing, as Letho’s hand moves from Gaetan’s face to his chest, working its way into the blanket and slowly running a feather light touch up and down the bare arm. </p><p>The witcher responds with a gentle shiver, curling up tighter against the warmth of Letho’s chest, ear pressed over his heart as if seeking comfort in the gentle, rhythmic thud. </p><p>Maybe he is, and the thought makes Letho smile as he moves his large hand from the arm to cover the other side of Gaetan’s head, shielding his outer ear from the sounds of the world so he can focus entirely on the heart beat.</p><p>Finally, the smaller witcher relaxes, be it from calm or exhaustion, and Letho notices that one of Gaetan's fingers has started to absently tap against his lap, matching Letho's slow heartbeat.</p><p>"That's it." The viper drawls. "Focus on that."</p><p>Lambert and Letho both look round as Ciri returns to the hall, followed by Eskel. </p><p>“We’ve gotten the room ready opposite yours.” He says, addressing Lambert. “Nothing fancy, changed the sheets and lit the fire. Worry about the rest tomorrow.”</p><p>“So he can stay?” Lambert says.</p><p>“For now. But we keep a guard on him. If he’s sick, it’ll be harder for him to keep his beast down.”</p><p>Beast. Lambert can remember Aiden using that term. The unstable mutagens and high emotions that all cat school witchers fight each day just to stay sane. And if they give in, let the beast take over…</p><p>It can’t be a coincidence that Eskel has used that term. Did he have the <em> same </em> conversation with Aiden, once upon a time?</p><p>“Keira.” Eskel says. “You sharing with Lambert?”</p><p>She nods, smiling as Ciri helps her to stand. “Thank you.”</p><p>Eskel indicates the bowl she is holding with a nod. “Leave it on the chair.”</p><p>Placing her empty stew bowl back on the seat, she rests a hand on both Lambert and Gaetan’s shoulders for a moment, before letting Ciri help her out of the hall. </p><p>“I’ll take him to the springs.” Letho says, standing with Gaetan in his arms. “Get him clean, check for injuries.”</p><p>“No.” Lambert says, shaking his head.</p><p>“Lambert…” Eskel says. </p><p>“He can't consent to being touched." Lambert says, his voice rising. "He can't even tell you his fucking <em>name</em> right now.”</p><p>“So come with.” Letho shrugs. “Be his voice.”</p><p>Lambert sighs with frustration, wanting desperately to protect Gaetan while he’s vulnerable, but also knowing that Aiden’s brother will rest better if he is clean. The scent coming off the witcher right now is a strong mixture of sweat, blood and mud so overpowering that he wonders if even Ciri can smell it. </p><p>And Letho is right, they haven’t checked Gaetan for physical injuries yet.</p><p>"Fine. Let's go then." He nods. “But I'm in charge.”</p><p>"You're the boss." Letho agrees. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>Heartbeat</em>
</p><p>Gaetan can hear it beneath his ear. He can feel himself being lifted, but doesn’t know where he is being taken. </p><p>He isn’t afraid.</p><p>It feels safe here. Warm. He finally has the taste of food in his mouth, and the heartbeat beneath his ear. </p><p>Good. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Like a person would use</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lambert enters the hot springs first, grabbing towels from the shelf at the back of the room and laying one out on the floor before sitting on the edge. As soon as he is done, Letho lowers himself to the ground and sits Gaetan between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Going to let go now.” He says quietly, testing releasing his hold of Gaetan and, when the cat doesn’t fall to the side or back, sliding his hands down to the first of the buckles holding his gambeson together. Lambert meanwhile is removing the gauntlets, checking the fingers and hands for injuries as he does so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as the gambeson is removed, Gaetan wimpers. He trembles in his white shirt, but not from cold if the way he pulls his hands away from Lambert and crosses his arms in front of his chest, hands now digging into each shoulder, is anything to go by.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No." Lambert says when Letho reaches for him. "Let him curl up if he needs to."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letho nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not going to hurt you.” The viper bows slightly, so he is looking directly into Gaetan’s eye. “Just want to get all that muck off you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright, Gaetan. I promise.” Lambert reaches out, resting his hand on Gaetan’s arm. But the cat seems to have disconnected again, because if he does hear them, then he doesn’t answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can work around it.” Letho says, reaching for the washcloth before leaning over, as good as laying down so that he can reach into the water of the nearest pool. He saturates the cloth with the warm liquid and sits back up, looking at Gaetan’s face and maintaining eye contact with the unfocused amber stare as he begins to gently clean. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Most of the muck on Gaetan’s face is blood, ghoul by the smell, mostly around his forehead and temple. Cleaning the worst of it, Letho refolds the cloth and cleans each cheek, then refolds it again and smiles before gently squeezing and wiping down Gaetan’s nose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span><em>That</em> gets a reaction, the cat witcher closing his eyes and sniffing slightly. A sound comes from his mouth that is somewhere between a surprised gasp and a giggle and Letho, chuckling, cups the back of his head for a moment before turning away, returning the washcloth to the water and cleaning it thoroughly. Sitting back up, he continues to clean around Gaetan’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We got a razor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Lambert says, kneeling beside Letho with the tool and some soap. When it is clear that the witcher has no intention of handing him the blade, Letho nods, moving behind Gaetan and holding him carefully against his chest while Lambert applies the soap before working to remove the badly matted, dirty fur covering the witcher’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Gaetan.” Lambert says. “Easier than trying to wash it. It’ll grow back if you want it to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan doesn’t react, just stares ahead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once he is clean shaven, Lambert washes the left over soap away, before using the edge of a towel to dab Gaetan’s face dry while Letho re-wets the cloth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Swapping places with Lambert, the viper begins to clean Gaetan’s arm, making no effort to unfold the limbs still clutching at Gaetan’s chest in a protective shield. He simply massages down the skin he can reach, turning at the elbow and washing up to the edge of the white shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Letho turns to rinse the cloth again, it is to find Lambert holding another ready for him, and the two swap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looks back and smiles, because while Gaetan’s clean arm is still curled against his chest, he is now holding out the other ready for Letho’s attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Letho says conversationally, encompassing Gaetan’s hand with his own while the other starts to clean. “You know we won’t hurt you, now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Must feel good to be getting all that shit off.” Lambert says as he cleans the other washcloth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan seems to be completely focused on Letho’s movements as the viper gently cleans the arm, and that something as simple as being fucking cared for can be so fascinating to the smaller witcher, well it touches something deep inside of Letho. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He quietly accepts a fresh cloth when Lambert offers it, his movements deliberately slow now as he continues to ‘wash’ Gaetan’s arm, even though the cloth comes away clean with each new wipe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a while, Gaetan relaxes his other arm, and holds both out for Letho. The cat's eyes never look away as the washcloth cleans and caresses the limbs, and when he sniffs Letho says nothing, just reaches up and wipes at the corner of his eyes and cheeks, cleaning the already clean face again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as the gentle touch is on his jaw, Gaetan loses it completely, every inch of his body falling apart and forward as his face falls against Letho’s chest. His sobs are as much silent screams, the voice breaking, but even that quiet sound seems to echo in Lambert’s chest and stomach as he watches.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letho simply shifts his seat, knees bent so that his legs form a protective barrier on either side of the Witcher while strong arms hold him against his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got you.” He says quietly near Gaetan’s ear. “I’ve got you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Gaetan sobs harder, clutching at Letho’s shirt as if terrified of letting go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lambert kneels down behind Gaetan, reaching out to run a hand up and down the witcher’s back, only to stop when he flinches. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lifting the shirt slowly, Lambert grimaces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lambert?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The witcher shakes his head, trembling with anger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you seeing, Wolf?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pitchfork.” Lambert says, picking up the washcloth and carefully pressing it over the wound. “It’s a fucking pitchfork wound.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“New?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Recent.” Lambert says. “It’s scarring, but probably still hurts like fucking anything. Starvation must have slowed the healing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Starvation</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Because that is what Gaetan has been. Starving. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Lambert tends to the wound, Letho kisses the side of the cat’s head, rocking him as he continues to empty his pain into Letho’s chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lambert continues to lift the shirt, noting every scar and old wound. “Nothing else bad on the back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lambert slowly washes Gaetan’s back, concentrating on the pitchfork wound but also cleaning everywhere else with the same slowness that Letho had used on the arms and e</span>
  <span>ventually, be it from the aftermath of a good cry or the relaxing sensation from Lambert’s care, the cat calms down. His sobs become hiccoughs and then gentle breathing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Want to get into the water now?” Letho asks as he leans Gaetan back. “Get properly clean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan doesn’t say anything, but he does look at the pool, and he doesn’t react when Letho gently pulls the shirt over his head, guiding it down his arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His face stays calm, no distress this time, and Letho smiles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stands with the Witcher held against him, the side of his face resting against Letho’s chest so he can listen to his heart again while still looking at the warm, clean water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not a cold stream. Not a dirty bucket at the back of a blacksmith's hut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A proper, warm bath. Like a person would use.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letho looks over Gaetan’s head. “Lambert?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The witcher nods, standing to take a long look at Gaetan’s face before kneeling down, removing the witcher’s boots and socks. Then he takes another look at the face, noting the exhausted but calm expression before reaching for the buckle of belt and trousers. When the expression doesn’t change he pulls trousers and underclothes down in one go, carefully lifting Gaetan’s feet out of the dirty clothes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letho has already wrapped a towel around the witcher’s shoulders, one that he keeps in place to cover him as he guides Gaetan to the pool. He takes it away only when Gaetan is already sitting with the water up to his waist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Removing his own shoes, Letho rolls up the cotton trousers and sits at the edge of the pool with his feet in the water, reaching down to apply soap to the witcher’s back before washing it away. He does the same to Gaetan’s chest and then arms, washing the limbs again simply for the sake of now using soap. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a nasty cut, alghoul spine he guesses, cutting across Gaetan’s stomach, and he concentrates on cleaning this for a while. “Got a bit close with that one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan nods, but says nothing, his eyes having returned to the fascinated glances as he watches someone take care of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Legs look pretty clean already. Any wounds there you know of?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan shakes his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s good.” He takes Gaetan’s hand, massaging the fingers. “Hair’s gotten a bit out of control. Want me to wash it, or shave it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan looks from Letho’s hands to the razor resting on the edge of the towel he had been sat on before. Then back, and back again. Head never moving, but eyes darting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Both?” Letho says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan looks at Letho, and his lower jaw trembles as he nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Both it is.” Letho says, working soap into a lather with his hands before applying it to Gaetan’s head, massaging carefully. He cups water in his hand to wet the hair before applying more soap, working through the messy short strands while Gaetan relaxes beneath his fingers, swaying of his own accord.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chuckling, Letho massages the scalp for a few more minutes, then reaches for the razor, waiting for Lambert’s nod of approval before turning back to Gaetan. “Going to need you to be still for a bit. Okay with me doing it?” He holds up the razor where Gaetan can see it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan stills and nods, looking straight ahead as Letho slowly starts to work on his hair, staying silent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When there is nothing but stubble left, Letho rinses the head with handfuls of water, then encourages Gaetan to sit back, his head pillowed by the witcher’s large hand as he stretches out in the warm pool, eyes closed and breathing so slow that for a moment Letho thinks that the cat has fallen asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then Gaetan’s eyes open, looking at Letho and maybe really seeing him for the first time, before unfocusing and closing again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Letho smiles. “You’re welcome.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for all the kudos and comments so far &lt;3 &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Reflection</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lambert sighs, shaking his head as he looks around the open door of his room to find Keira and Ciri both curled up in the bed, fast asleep. </p><p>Or perhaps not asleep, because Ciri’s eyes open immediately, smiling as she makes eye contact with the other witcher. </p><p>“How is she?” Lambert says, quietly. </p><p>“Exhausted.” Ciri smiles as she looks at Keira. “Pretty sure she fell asleep while we were climbing the stairs.” </p><p>Lambert nods. “Thanks for looking after her, kid.”</p><p>Ciri sits up. "Your <em> friend </em>?"</p><p>"Gaetan." Lambert bristles. "His <em> name </em> is Gaetan. He’s Aiden’s brother and he's been through a lot, Ciri. So cut him some...."</p><p>“Oh of course. I’m the one in the wrong, here.”</p><p>Ciri climbs out of the bed, walking across the room to look into the fire under the mantlepiece.</p><p>“Look, Ciri…”</p><p>“Aiden’s brother or not, you can't ignore Honorton.” She rests her chin on her hand, elbow cupped by her other hand. “How Gaetan killed <em> all </em> those people. And now we’re <em> helping </em> him? Does he <em> deserve </em>our help, after what he did?”</p><p>"He's a person too, Ciri. A witcher.” Lambert steps into the room and leans against the wall. "Would you really leave someone to suffer like that, whoever they were? Come on, you were raised better..."</p><p>"Sorry." Ciri shrugs, lowering her arms. "I just…"</p><p>“Did Geralt tell you <em> why </em> he lost control in Honorton?”</p><p>Ciri nods. </p><p>Crossing his arms, Lambert leans back against the same wall. “I know someone else who can lose control sometimes?”</p><p>Ciri looks away, pointedly. “<em> That’s </em> different.” </p><p>“Don’t seem that different to me?” Lambert shrugs. “When Vesemir died, and you lost control of your power. What would have happened if Avallac'h hadn’t stopped you? Would you have killed me and Keira? Geralt and Yen? Eskel and Letho...”</p><p>“Vesemir had just <em> died </em> in front of me. <em> Because </em> of me. I...”</p><p>“Yeah, well Gaetan’s <em> entire </em> family died. And he didn’t have a Geralt and Yen to comfort him afterwards.” Lambert’s voice is <em> just </em> below shouting. “The Cat school was destroyed, Ciri. He was left <em> completely </em> alone. Hunted by soldiers. Alone while he was grieving, starving, in <em> hiding </em> . Honorton was just the tipping point. <em> Anyone </em> would have cracked eventually, even Geralt, even <em> you </em>. I’d have probably done it sooner.”</p><p>Ciri nods.</p><p>“Don’t get me wrong, Cirilla. I’m not defending what he did. It <em> was </em> wrong. But it happened because he lost control of something inside of him, just like you did. And since then he’s been alone, weakened physically and mentally to the point where his body can’t even <em> heal </em> properly now. He’s stopped <em> healing </em> Ciri, do you <em> get </em> that? Do you know how weak a witcher’s body has to get to stop healing?”</p><p>Ciri nods. </p><p>“And yeah, maybe he <em> does </em> deserve to be punished for what happened in that fucking town. But I'd say he's suffered enough. Wouldn’t you?” </p><p>When Ciri doesn’t answer, Lambert carries on. </p><p>“Or maybe we <em> should </em> add some more wounds. Starve him some more. Lock him up alone in a basement till he’s talking to the fucking walls if he’s talking at all. Would <em> that </em> satisfy your need for justice. Justice for the town that tried to <em> KILL </em> him, Ciri?"</p><p>“Lambert!”</p><p>They both turn to look at Keira as she slowly, shakily sits up in the bed, knees drawn slightly against her chest. </p><p>Ciri looks down, and Lambert visibly calms as approaches the bed. </p><p>“How you doing?”</p><p>“I’ll live.” She says, her voice stern. “Gaetan? Does he have any injuries?”</p><p>Lambert’s eyes grow distant. </p><p>“Someone in Honorton...” He looks at Ciri. “...stabbed him in the back with a pitchfork.” He looks back at Keira. “A <em> fucking </em> pitchfork, like you’d use on a monster.” </p><p>Ciri swallows, while Keira nods, encouraging Lambert to continue. </p><p>“And an alghoul got him across the stomach recently. Wounds aren't healing as fast as they should. And when he speaks it’s just...just keeps saying ‘I tried” over and over. Like a mantra.”</p><p>“Tried to make amends.” Ciri mumbles, hands forming fists at her sides. “For Honorton.”</p><p>They both look at her, then Keira closes her eyes as a wave of exhaustion flows through her. </p><p>“My bag, is it here?”</p><p>“Yes.” Ciri picks it up.</p><p>“There’s a brown pot of salve inside.” Keira says to the young witcheress. “Beeswax, with some other ingredients. I use it to treat Lambert’s wounds.” She rests a hand on Lambert’s arm. “Ciri, would you mind?”</p><p>“I’ll take it to him.” She says, holding up a pot and pocketing it when Keira nods.</p><p>“Thank you.” She smiles, and settles back into the bed. </p><p>Ciri quickly pulls her boots and coat back on, before approaching the door.</p><p>She stops there, before turning to look at Lambert.</p><p>“I’d have killed you, if Avallac'h hadn’t stopped me.”</p><p>“It wouldn’t have been your fault.” Keira says.</p><p>“She’s right, kid.” Lambert nods.</p><p>As soon as the door closes behind the witcheress, Lambert blows air out through his teeth, as good as flopping next to Keira on the bed.</p><p>"She didn't deserve that?" Keira says.</p><p>"She was treating him like a villain." </p><p>“<em>You </em> were her age once.”</p><p>Lambert nods, eyes closing. </p><p>“Gaetan’s mental state?”</p><p>“What mental state?” He opens his eyes. “I only met Gaetan a handful of times, mostly when I travelled with the caravan.” He smiles. “He was a firecracker, Keira. Made jokes and banter, played the fiddle. He knew all of Dandelion's fucking songs.” </p><p>She chuckles.</p><p>“And he was always moving. Dancing. Fidgeting. Climbing...Aiden said the cat school hadn’t found a wall yet that Gaetan couldn’t climb. He was the youngest in Dyn Marv. And they all loved him more than life itself.”</p><p>She nods.</p><p>“He was so alive, Keira.”</p><p>“He <em> is </em> alive.” Keira says, only for Lambert to shake his head. “Lambert, he is <em> still </em>alive.” </p><p>“I should have found him sooner.”</p><p>“You were grieving yourself.” Keira reminds him. “Losing Aiden and Vesemir so close to each other. Of course Gaetan slipped your mind. And you didn’t know until later that Dyn Marv had fallen. You thought Gaetan had his family to look after him.” </p><p>Lambert nods. </p><p>“You went to Gaetan when you were able. As <em> soon </em> as you were able.”</p><p>“And what if I was too late.” He looks from the ceiling to her. “What if he’s lost…”</p><p>“Then we find the person that he’s become.” She kisses his cheek, and rests her head against his chest. “And maybe he won’t play the fiddle or make jokes anymore, but does that mean he doesn’t deserve your love anymore?”</p><p>Lambert looks at the ceiling, and shakes his head.</p><p>“Stay with me awhile. Take a moment to look after <em> yourself </em>again.”</p><p>“But…”</p><p>“Your brother and Letho will look after Gaetan.”</p><p>He nods, and closes his eyes.</p><p>“He's o<em>ur </em> family.” Keira says, with conviction. “And he’ll be okay, Lambert. I promise.” </p><p>Lambert falls asleep within seconds, and Keira soon follows him. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Letho’s spare sleeping shirt and trousers swallow Gaetan, but they are thick and warm and the long sleeves wrap around his hands protectively. The neckline falls off one shoulder, exposing the unmistakable shape of a katakan bite, and Letho slowly covers the exposed skin with a blanket, wrapping it tightly around Gaetan and holding him close.</p><p>He knows that he should take Gaetan up to the room that Eskel’s prepared for him, tuck him into the warm bed, but...not yet. It doesn’t feel ready yet, doesn’t feel like the right time. </p><p>So he goes to the main hall instead. He’ll sit on the sofa by the fire for a moment. Hold him some more. </p><p>He smiles when he spies the pile of pillows, blankets and furs that has been left on the rug before the fire, arranged over a bedroll to form a comfortable nest. </p><p>Facing the fire, Letho sits on the rug and lays Gaetan curled up on his side on the bedroll, a pillow beneath his head. That done, he arranges the nest of furs and blankets around him until they are as good as burying the Witcher, before settling behind him and slowly running a hand up and down Gaetan's arm, the other hand cupping the top of cat’s head, thumb stroking his temple.</p><p>“You build the nest?” Letho drawls as he hears Eskel’s footsteps behind him. </p><p>The wolf sits down in front of Gaetan, facing Letho. “Figured you’d bring him back here.” </p><p>Eskel looks over his shoulder at the fire, Letho’s favourite place in the keep besides Eskel’s bed. Viper mutations did not overly appreciate the cold, and Letho often gravitated towards sources of heat with the enthusiasm of a moth flying into a lamp.</p><p>“Let him sleep a bit.” Eskel says. “But I don’t want to wait too long before getting some more food inside of him.”</p><p>“He ain’t sleeping.” Letho says quietly, gently rubbing at Gaetan’s face and smiling when the eyes open, looking at the fire for a moment before closing again. “Just not ready to let the world back in yet.” Letho swallows, his next breath deep, as if trying to calm himself. “Don’t blame him.”</p><p>“Letho?”</p><p>“Don’t ask me to explain it.” Letho takes another deep breath, then shakes his head. “Just...I know I only met him today, but he's important to me. I want to make him smile again. But first I want to kill everyone that did this to him.”</p><p>“You’ll be racing me and Lambert.” Eskel smiles. “And you don’t need to explain anything. You protect people. Fight for them. Your instinct is to keep people safe when they're hurting. I love that about you Letho.”</p><p>“Don’t make me out like a hero.”</p><p>“Shut up and let me be proud of you.” Eskel leans forward, kissing the side of his head and chuckling when Letho fidgets slightly in response to the affection.</p><p>The viper growls, but then smiles.</p><p>“Listen.” Eskel indicates Gaetan with a nod. “He’s already feeling better because of you. Can you hear it?”</p><p>Letho’s smile fades as he…</p><p>“What?”</p><p>He <em> can </em>hear it, the sound just audible under the sound of the fire. It is coming from Gaetan’s throat, a rumbling vibration that Letho can feel in his fingertips as he gently rests them against the cat’s neck.</p><p>“Shhh.” Eskel chuckles under his breath. “It’s okay. Aiden used to do that. It’s a good sound.”</p><p>“Good?”</p><p>“Yeah. Very good. Means he feels safe.” </p><p>Gaetan’s eyes slowly open, orbs turning to look at Letho before closing again. Making sure he was still there?</p><p>Letho can’t describe the feeling he has in that moment. The tightness in his chest. The sting behind his eyes. </p><p>Eskel rests a hand on Letho’s shoulder, then stands. “I’ll go get him some more stew.”</p><p>While Eskel is gone, Letho shifts and moves to lay down in front of the cat, eye to eye, and draping an arm over him.</p><p>The purring increases in volume, and Gaetan’s eyes slowly opens, looking out at Letho from under the pile of blankets.</p><p>“You making that sound for me, Cat?”</p><p>It’s small, barely more than a twitch of the lips, but Letho sees Gaetan smile for the first time. </p><p>He smiles in return as the witcher curls up tighter in the nest under Letho's protective arm, his eyes closing and his breath deeping.</p><p>“He’s looking comfortable.”</p><p>Letho looks up, welcoming Ciri with a quiet nod as she crouches down next to their heads. </p><p>“Keira said to use this on his wounds.” She holds up a brown pot.</p><p>Letho nods, sitting up. “Thanks, Princess.”</p><p>They both startle at a crashing sound from the kitchen, the unmistakable sound of a pile of plates hitting the floor. </p><p>“Dammit.” Eskel shouts.</p><p>“Eskel?” Letho is already standing, long strides quickly taking him to the kitchen. “You breaking the kitchen?”</p><p>Putting the salve on the rug beside her, Ciri shifts to sit cross legged, and looks down at Gaetan. </p><p>She can see it now that the face is clean. The scar across his cheek, so similar to her own that, if she squints, it’s like looking at a reflection. </p><p>Another thing they have in common.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ...he lost control of something inside of him, just like you did </em>
</p><p> </p><p>She opens the pot, and gently applies some of the salve to the scar, knowing deep down that the salve won’t heal such an old wound...but wanting to tend to it anyway.</p><p>She hushes him when the cat startles, eyes glaring at her, the purring now silent.</p><p>“Sorry. Thought you were asleep. Letho will be back in a minute.”</p><p>He settles back after a moment, the look of distrust fading as now distant eyes look at the fire. </p><p>She hovers a finger above his face and, when he doesn’t move, carries on applying the salve to the scar, hushing him all the time that she works.</p><p>“The wound on your stomach.” She looks at the pot. “From the alghoul. Do you want me to put some on that?”</p><p>Gaetan doesn’t respond, but he does open the blankets slightly, enough to expose the katakan bite on his shoulder.</p><p>“Okay.” Her eyes never leaving Gaetan’s, she smiles and starts to apply the salve to the bite. And like the face scar she knows it won't make much difference, but that isn't the point. </p><p>Gaetan is testing her, and she means to pass the test.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Breakfast</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Oatmeal bubbles in the couldron over the fire as Ciri and Keira collect ingredients on the table in the kitchen. </p><p>“Tomatos or mushrooms?” Ciri says. “I can get either.”</p><p>“Mushrooms.” Keira nods as she lays out the eggs that they were able to find that morning. “Some cheese as well, if there is any in the preserving bin.”</p><p>“I expect so.” Ciri chuckles. “Eskel <em> loves </em> cheese.”</p><p>“And I’ll make toast with some of the loaf.” Keira looks over her shoulder. “Oh Ciri, while you’re outside, could you get some parsley?”</p><p>“Of course.” Ciri smiles. “Anything else? I <em> can </em> go anywhere?”</p><p>“Keep the foraging local for this morning.” Keira says. “I won’t be able to portal to you if you get into trouble.”</p><p>Ciri shakes her head, her frustrated sigh lightened by the amusement in her eyes. </p><p>“And I thought Geralt could mother hen.”</p><p>“Oh I assure you that my reasons are entirely selfish.” Keira smiles. “I’ve seen what Yennefer does to people that allow you to come to harm.”</p><p>Ciri returns the smile, chuckling.</p><p>“Women in the kitchen.” Eskel leans against the doorway. “A return to traditional values at last.”</p><p>Keira glares at him. “You’re lucky my chaos is depleted, young man.”</p><p>“Hope you’re hungry.” Ciri says. “We’re making omelettes. </p><p>“Here...” Keira holds a bowl out towards the scarred witcher. “Make yourself useful and beat some eggs and milk into that.”</p><p>“Yes Ma’am.” Eskel accepts the bowl with a smile and sits at the table, picking up the first egg. “What’s going in them.”</p><p>“Mushrooms.” Keira says.</p><p>Eskel nods. “There’s cheese in the store if you want to add that as well.”</p><p>“Told you.” Ciri whispers next to Keira’s ear, before leaving to go pick the rest of the ingredients.</p><p>She passes Letho as he steps into the kitchen, taking the kettle from above the fire with his bare hand (which makes Eskel wince), and dropping some tea into two mugs. “Anyone else?”</p><p>Keira and Eskel both shake their heads.</p><p>“How’s Gaetan?” Keira says, quietly.</p><p>“Still asleep.” Letho says. “Couple of nightmares during the night, but we handled it. Managed to get some more broth into him too.”</p><p>“Well, he’s eating a <em> full </em>meal this morning.” Keira demands, her voice one of clear authority. “Witchers are built to handle feast or famine conditions. Gaetan’s metabolism will have been slowed by the starvation, but it should still be able to digest without issue, providing he can rest after each meal.”</p><p>"You mean I could have fed him properly last night?" Letho feels something clench just below his chest.</p><p>"You did feed him properly." Keira says, raising a hand. "And a lot more besides, from what Lambert tells me."</p><p>"She's right, Letho. You were amazing with him last night." Eskel smiles. </p><p>"Just did what felt right." Letho peers through the gap over the kitchen fire. Through this he can see Gaetan in his nest, still laid on the rug by the main mantlepiece. </p><p>“Why did you make him sleep on the floor?” Keira can’t help the harsh tone to her question.</p><p>“He was settled.” The scarred witcher shrugs. “Letho didn’t want to move him.”</p><p>“I suppose he does look comfortable there.”</p><p>Eskel stands, approaching where Keira has prepared a frying pan. "Where's Lambert?"</p><p>As if in cue, both Eskel and Letho look to the left as, in the distance, they hear an explosion.</p><p>“He’s at the lake.” Keira says, nonchantly. </p><p>“And he's blowing it up?” Letho narrows his eyes as he looks from Keira to Eskel.</p><p>Eskel chuckles as he slowly pours the contents of his bowl into the frying pan.</p><p>Letho decides to leave his inquiries there, taking another sip of his tea before picking up the second mug and stepping back into the main hall.</p><p>Gaetan is still curled on his side, his back to the fire. At some point since Letho stepped away into the kitchen, he has kicked the blankets away, and he is clearly dreaming, eyes moving rapidly beneath the lids, hands twitching against his chest.</p><p>Sitting so that he is facing the sleeping witcher, Letho places the mugs on the floor and waits, hands rested in his lap. He waits for Gaetan’s movements and eyes to be still. For his breathing to be shallow. </p><p>Once it is clear that the Witcher has drifted back into a lighter sleep, Letho reaches out and gently shakes his shoulder. </p><p>“Wake up now, Cat. Girl’s are making breakfast.”</p><p>Gaetan’s eyes open slowly, and he looks from Letho to the ceiling. To the room around him. He quickly sits up and scoots away, only to stumble at the edge of the bedroll. </p><p>“Easy, easy.” Letho raises a hand, holding it between them but not touching the witcher. “You don’t remember where you are, Gaetan?” </p><p>Gaetan looks at Letho, eyes slowly trailing up and down the giant in front of him and hitched breathing calming as slowly, so slowly, he reaches his arm out, wrists towards the ceiling. </p><p>Letho smiles, taking Gaetan’s hand with his own and using his other to gently trace up and down the sleeved arm. “Yeah, you remember me. Got you cleaned up. Tucked you in. You feeling any pain this morning?”</p><p>Gaetan can feel his wounds, the skin still soft from the salve that the girl had applied last night. He remembers that. And he remembers the hot springs. The taste of the broth. And...and being held. </p><p>He remembers being <em> held </em>.</p><p>A large, but gentle finger taps the cat's forehead. “Asked you a question, Gaetan?”</p><p>Gaetan keeps looking down at his arm. What was the question?</p><p>The giant witcher chuckles, and squeezes his hand. </p><p>"Still a bit of a jumble in there. That’s okay, you take your time.”</p><p>Gaetan looks him in the eye.</p><p>“Breakfast first. Then I promised Ciri that I’d train her with the knives. You can watch that if you want, or sit with Eskel while he does the repairs on the south wall. Or hang out with Lambert. We’ll keep the bedroll with you so you can rest.” Letho squeezes Gaetan’s shoulder. “But I want you to be a part of things today. You ain't being shut away.”</p><p>He picks up the second tea mug, cupping Gaetan’s hands beneath it and encouraging them to gently lift the mug to his lips. Gaetan drinks greedily. But it’s not enough. </p><p>A stab of hunger cuts at his stomach, nausea settling at his core like a parasite, eating away at his insides. </p><p>He can smell oats in the kitchen. Eggs and milk. Food.</p><p>But it’s for them, not for him. Like food in the tavern being enjoyed by the patrons with crowns to pay for it. Food behind the alderman as he gives ‘The cat school bastard’ only half of the previously agreed coin.</p><p>Sometimes people take pity. Give him the agreed coin, or the scraps of food that they can spare, but mostly it is regular returns to Dyn Marv that keep him fed. Keep him held. Keep him remembering that yes, he <em> does </em> deserve to be loved. He <em> can </em> be...</p><p>But then...</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> It's over. Soldiers have taken the school. They killed Axel and Cedric. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>He remembers cold winter evenings, sitting between Axel and Cedric. Joel and Aiden sit on the other side of the fire, equally huddled together for warmth. And they smile, and sing songs and share stories and it’s warm even in winter and safe.</p><p>It’s easier to forget those evenings. Forget <em> everything </em>. Dyn Marv has become an echo in his mind, and reality is just the cruel jabs and hunger and cold and fighting monsters for handfuls of crowns. Being called a monster.</p><p>Being a monster.</p><p>Because he is a beast. A murderer. And scraps are still better than he deserves.</p><p>He isn’t worthy of Dyn Marv. Maybe that is why it is gone.</p><p>Aiden would agree. Gaetan remembers clear as day the look on the older witcher’s face when Kiyan had first let his beast take over.</p><p>Gaetan hears a main door open, and then close. </p><p>Lambert smiles at Gaetan as he enters the hall, a net held over his shoulder like a haversack, and the witcher can smell...his stomach clenches, desperate. </p><p>Fish. </p><p>“Hey, you’re awake.” Lambert puts the net down and kneels beside Gaetan, a hand on his back. “How are you feeling?”</p><p>“He woke up confused.” Letho gives Lambert a half smile. “Hasn’t said anything yet.”</p><p>The wolf nods. "Your wounds bothering you?”</p><p>When Gaetan doesn’t answer, Letho shakes his head. “Not that he’s let on.” </p><p>"Well, breakfast is smelling good." Lambert winks at Gaetan before picking up the net again.</p><p>He doesn’t notice the fish hanging over the edge. But Gaetan does.</p><p>The fish slips and, as Lambert makes his way to the larder, falls to the floor with a quiet, wet slap.</p><p>And Gaetan’s eyes widen, completely focused on the food as he quickly becomes pure, unfiltered instinct.</p><p>It’s on the floor. No one will miss it. No one will want it. It’s...it’s spoiled. Useless to them. It’s...he isn’t taking away from them. </p><p>It’s already lost and...it’s…it’s just scraps.</p><p>Food.</p><p>He can smell it. He can already taste it in his mouth. He can see it. </p><p>Still instinct, he goes to his hands and knees, and from this to a crouched run, rushing past Letho to pounce on the fish and fall into a seated position, biting right into the middle of his prize, sharp teeth grinding the soft bones and tearing off meat. He closes his eyes as he chews, his throat making a strange growling noise as he swallows and takes another bite almost within the same second, this time tearing meat from towards the tail. </p><p>It tastes of the lake, but also of the fish. Raw, cold, but...food. </p><p>And the other Witchers...Letho is looking at him.</p><p>Lambert. </p><p>The scarred Witcher, Eskel. </p><p>And they look...they look…</p><p>Lambert is angry. Eskel looks sad. Letho is…</p><p>...but it was on the floor? It was on the floor. He’s not stealing. </p><p>He’s trying. He’s trying.</p><p>He should have asked first. He knows. He should have waited to be offered the scraps. Stupid. Stupid.</p><p>But...</p><p>Lambert says something to Eskel, who nods and goes into the kitchen. </p><p>Gaetan puts the fish on the floor, and shuffles back, legs to his chest, arms wrapped around them and eyes watching over his knees as Lambert picks up the fish and takes it into the kitchen, throwing it into the container with the rest of the waste. </p><p>Gaetan feels the heat rise inside of him. He’s shaking. They were just going to throw it away anyway...why not let him have it?</p><p>No! No, control the anger. Control it. <em> Don’t be the beast again </em>.</p><p>Something warm comes to rest in Gaetan’s lap, jarring him from his thoughts as he looks down to see a small bowl of oatmeal. </p><p>Eskel smiles and stands, going back into the kitchen, and Gaetan picks up the bowl, eating from it the way he would soup from a cup while Letho rubs his back. </p><p>Gaetan slowly comes back to himself...enough to feel a stab of...something. Mortification? </p><p>Because he <em> did </em> let the beast take over. Pure, mutated instinct to hunt. Gather. Eat raw meat from the floor like an animal.</p><p>He closes his eyes, and turns his face in Letho’s chest.</p><p>Elsewhere in the main hall, Eskel places a large plate of toast and cutlery in the middle of the dining table. “Breakfast is up.”</p><p>Leaving the bowl on the floor, Letho helps Gaetan to stand and walks him over to the table, stopping only to grab a blanket from the nest and drape it over the cat's shoulders.</p><p>He sits where Letho puts him, with Ciri sitting on his left, and Keira opposite them. The viper sits at Gaetan’s right.</p><p>“You got plans today, Sorceress?” Letho asks, taking a slice of toast from the central plate and chewing. </p><p>Ciri does the same.</p><p>“I’m going to take a look at some of the structural damage." Keira says. "See if there’s anything I can clean or repair once my magic is at full strength again.”</p><p>“Start with the west tower.” Ciri says around her toast. “It took a lot of hits when the Wild Hunt attacked.”</p><p>“Shouldn’t talk with your mouth full.” Letho says. “Stops you chewing properly.”</p><p>Ciri puts on a child’s voice. “I’m sorry, Uncle Letho.”</p><p>Keira giggles fondly, her amusement growing as a red blush spreads across Letho’s face.</p><p>Noticing it, Ciri winks at him over Gaetan’s head, but also makes a point of chewing her next bite with her mouth closed.</p><p>Slowly, Gaetan relaxes. No one is bringing up the fish. The fact that he behaved like a beast. The fact that he stole from them, taking something that hadn’t been offered.</p><p>He should say thank you, but he can't remember how. </p><p>He feels like he can’t remember how to talk at all. </p><p>Lambert and Eskel soon arrive at the table, having taken it upon themselves to bring out each meal. Omelettes with mushrooms and herbs, and a bowl of oatmeal still steaming from the cauldron. </p><p>First Keira and Ciri’s meals. Then back to the kitchen to return with Letho and Gaetan’s meals.</p><p>“All yours, Gaetan.” Lambert says as he leaves a fresh bowl of oatmeal in front of him. Then he uses his now free hand to take some toast, adding it to Gaetan’s breakfast plate before placing it on the table. “Eat up.”</p><p>Cutlery is placed in his hands.</p><p>And Gaetan looks at Lambert, and then at the plate. He looks at the other plates, then at his own.</p><p>Gaetan’s meal is not the same as the others on the table.</p><p>Because on his plate, next to the omelette, is a cooked fish.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Tiger</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Letho stands, taking the empty plate from the middle of the table and placing it under his own before tapping Gaetan on the shoulder. </p><p>“Come on, Cat.” He picks up Lambert’s plate. “Girls cooked. Wolves served. <em> We </em>clean up.”</p><p>Nodding, Gaetan takes Ciri’s plate and cutlery, placing both on top of his own before accepting Keira’s as she passes it across the table. Lifting all three plates, he stands and follows Letho across the main hall to the door.</p><p>Putting his plates on the floor, Letho passes Gaetan a pair of worn boots, waiting for the cat witcher to don them before picking up a thick fur coat and draping it across his shoulders.</p><p>“Keep following.”</p><p>It’s a clear but cold day, the sky a bright blue even so early, with only a few clouds and hardly any wind. </p><p>Turning, Gaetan finds himself looking on the Keep. Lambert’s stories about the place did <em> not </em> do it justice. Even battle scarred and broken by age, she is a beautiful site. </p><p>And...Lambert brought him here? Kaer Morhen. Gaetan?</p><p>Why?</p><p>He remembers...sensations. Pain. Cold. Anger...no, not anger. Never anger. That’s it. Control it. Then warmth. Water and…</p><p>He looks down at his arms, covered by the fur coat. </p><p>“Gaetan?” </p><p>Sitting on some steps, Letho is using igni to heat a fresh bucket of water. “Want to wash, or dry?”</p><p>Gaetan sits cross legged next to the bucket, and dips in the first plate into the warm water, accepting the cloth that Letho passes to him.</p><p>“Got a question for you, Cat.” Letho takes the plate from Gaetan, drying it. “Answer’s important.” </p><p>Gaetan picks up a fork.</p><p>“You’re not talking.” Letho leans forward. “Lambert says you <em> can </em> talk. Getting you to shut up can be the trick.” He smiles. “So is the silent treatment now because you can’t? Or because you’re just too tired?”</p><p>Gaetan lifts the fork he is washing, observing the water droplets falling from the prongs. Then he looks at Letho, and shakes his head. </p><p>“Alright. I get it, Gaetan.” Letho stoops down, making eye contact. “Just needed to know it’s not something else going on. Saw all the injuries on the outside, but we can’t see what’s hurting inside.”</p><p>Gaetan hands him the fork, and picks up another plate. </p><p>"You hurting inside?"</p><p>Gaetan shrugs.</p><p>“Yeah. Well, let me know if you get too cold.”</p><p>He nods, and they sit in a comfortable silence for a while, Letho waiting patiently for each piece that the smaller witcher hands to him until everything is washed and dried.</p><p>With Gaetan focused on the task of cleaning the cloth, Letho has the chance to study the witcher. He’s already looking stronger, physically. That's to be expected. A witcher’s body can do miracles with a good night of sleep and a full meal. But Gaetan’s face still looks gaunt, void of colour. His eyes wander constantly, as if his mind is moving from reality to a dream and then back again.</p><p><em> Yeah </em> Letho thinks. <em> You’re hurting inside. </em></p><p>Gaetan flinches, dropping the cloth into the water.</p><p>"Gaetan?"</p><p>His eyes become wide as they notice a bird sitting on a windowsill of the building. </p><p>The bird hops along to a ledge running around the wall, then hops again to a balcony and Gaetan’s eyes follow every inch of its journey, lips peeling back from his teeth. </p><p>He stands, cloth forgotten in the bucket. </p><p>Letho sits back on the step, elbows rested on his bent knees. And like an arrow from a bow, Gaetan is out of the fur coat and halfway up the wall, finding footholes and hand grabs that even Letho’s witcher senses struggle to see as the cat settles on his tiptoes on the very ledge the bird had hopped along, inching along the wall and hopping to a crouch on the balcony rail. </p><p>The bird flies off <em> just </em> as Gaetan pounces, landing on a broken guard tower next to the pendulum. </p><p>Standing, Gaetan moves along the balcony rail with a balance so controlled that he could be walking along a wide floor. And…</p><p> </p><p>...and he’s smiling, his eyes completely focused and bright. He is a cat witcher in his element…</p><p> </p><p>...Letho can’t help smiling as well as he watches Gaetan runs along and leap from the balcony, landing with his hands gripping the edge of the watchtower. Feet scrabbling against the wall, he pulls himself up onto the watchtower and pounces again.</p><p>The bird flies up to the top balcony.</p><p>“Shit.” Letho whispers. </p><p>Because sure enough, the cat is lining up another jump.</p><p>He leaps across the gap, grabbing at the bottom balcony and then readying a hop from the wall to the upper balcony...only to miss his footing and fall.</p><p>Letho slides across the frozen ground, catching the cat and pulling him against his chest as he falls over backwards, landing between Gaetan and the hard stone.</p><p>“Idiot.” He admonishes, before sitting up and gently depositing the cat on the ground in front of him.</p><p>Gaetan is curled in on himself, eyes fixed on the ground in front of him. </p><p>Calming from the adrenaline spike, Letho places a heavy hand on his shoulder, only for Gaetan to shrug the hand off and stand, stepping away from Letho.</p><p>“Want me to get Lambert?”</p><p>He shakes his head, and looks out at the yard.</p><p>Letho nods, slowly. “Stay in the keep. Don’t want you getting lost out there.”</p><p>Gaetan nods, accepting the fur coat back from Letho and looking up at the balcony one last time before turning away and running up the steps to the pendulums, and from there to a ladder up to the top of the rampart and out of sight. </p><p>Letho can only imagine what his facial expression must be when he enters the main hall, plates in hand, because Eskel is immediately in front of him. </p><p>“Everything all right?” Eskel asks. </p><p>“Idiot cat decided to go jump off the balcony. Nothing damaged but his pride.”</p><p>“Jump?”</p><p>“He was chasing a bird.”</p><p>Eskel sags slightly, then smiles. “Did he catch it?”</p><p>"No."</p><p>“Maybe next time.” Eskel shrugs. “Where is he now? Privy?”</p><p>“He needed some alone time.” Letho shakes his head. “Like I said, fall hurt his pride. And that wasn’t exactly healthy to begin with.”</p><p>“You sure him alone is a good idea, Letho?”</p><p>“Is he our guest or our prisoner?” Letho shrugs, and sits down. “I’ll go out and find him in a minute. I don’t think he’ll try any stupid jumps again. He just needs to cool down.”</p><p>Eskel crouches down in front of Letho, his hands on his knees.</p><p>“What happened to him, Esk?” Letho whispers. “There’s a person in there, I can see it in his eyes, but it’s...the thing with the fish, and then just now. It’s like…” </p><p>“Like his mutagens keep grabbing the reins from him.” Eskel says.</p><p>Letho nods.</p><p>"Maybe it’s a defence mechanism." Ciri says as she approaches them, dressed in her armour and carrying her swords on her back. "If his instincts take over, he doesn't have to think beyond <em> them </em>. Clears his head. Like...well like meditation.”</p><p>“Ciri you haven’t meditated a day in your life.” He looks at Letho. “Vesemir tried everything.”</p><p>Letho looks at Ciri. "So chasing birds across the walls is Gaetan meditating?"</p><p>"Maybe.” Ciri shrugs. “He needs to heal, doesn’t he. So, this keeps him safe while he does that.”</p><p>“Whatever the...reason, I doubt he's fully in control of it." Eskel says. "Be gentle with him, Letho. Just gotta keep doing what you’re doing. You’ve connected with Gaetan. We can all see it. Even Lambert’s giving you space to work. You’ve got this.”</p><p>Letho takes a deep breath, and nods. Then he turns to Ciri. “Come on, Princess. Go check on Gaetan, then I promised you training.”</p><p>Letho waits for Ciri to walk ahead of him, then takes a dagger from his belt and gently taps the tip against her shoulder. </p><p>"Failed?"</p><p>"What...I wasn't even ready?"</p><p>"Always be ready."</p><p>Eskel shakes his head, standing to follow them back towards the door. "Don't make her paranoid like you."</p><p>"Want her to survive, don't you?"</p><p>"I want her to sleep at night."</p><p>While Eskel is talking, Ciri slips behind Letho and slowly takes her sword into her hand.</p><p>Without even looking, Letho sends an aard blast over his shoulder, knocking Ciri into a sitting position.</p><p>"Okay." Ciri smiles as she stands. "Challenge accepted." She stands between Letho and Eskel as they open the door...and all look down in unison...</p><p>...at the dead rat laying on the doorstep.</p><p>"Uh…" Letho closes one eye. </p><p>“My grandfather’s cats used to do that.” Ciri crosses her arms. "He said it was their way of saying <em> thank you for taking care of me </em>.”</p><p>Letho looks at Ciri.</p><p>“Now we smile, applaud the cat and say <em> clever hunter </em>."</p><p>Eskel looks at her. </p><p>“What? I was five.”</p><p>Letho huffs out a laugh.</p><p>"We're going to need to set ground rules with him." Eskel says. "You <em> don't </em>want him to leave dead rats where…"</p><p>And from the east tower, they hear a scream.</p><p>"...Keira might find them." Eskel closes his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.</p><p>It's going to be a long day.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Trophies. He lays them to be found. Thank you. Thank you. Now cold. Go inside. Scratch at door until they open. No. Coat. Tight around him. Arms. </p><p>Gaetan opens his eyes, struggling to remember where he is for a moment. Bird. Then rats. Then...oh no. No. He heard a scream. </p><p>Who screamed? Why did they scream? Screaming. Shouting. Begging. And the smell of blood.</p><p>And...and the girl.</p><p>Not again. Not again. Not again.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Sometimes heads just roll. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Not again. Not again. Not again.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Deep breath, Tiger. In two three four. Hold two three four five six seven. Out two three four five six seven eight. You’re doing great. That’s it. In two three… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Aiden?” He whispers to the empty room.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Gaetan?”</p><p>Gaetan opens his eyes and sees Letho, standing in the doorway to the stone hut, but not entering.</p><p>“Feeling better?”</p><p>Gaetan stands slowly, arms wrapped around himself as he nods.</p><p>“Me and Ciri are training now.” Letho says, holding out a scabbard. Cat school. Gaetan’s steel sword. </p><p>“Put on some armour and join us. Reckon Lambert’s got something that will fit you. Or you can just watch, if you need more rest.” He smiles.</p><p>Gaetan takes one step. Another step. Another. And slowly accepts the sword from Letho hand.</p><p>“Ciri’s setting up the brazier so the yard will be warm. Never seen a fighter from your school before, Cat.” Letho chuckles. “Or should I call you Hunter?”</p><p>Gaetan shakes his head, pulling the steel sword from the scabbard and pointing at one of the runes on the blade.</p><p>“My elder is rusty.” Letho says, reading down the blade. “Teigr. That’s...Tiger?”</p><p>Gaetan nods.</p><p>“Is that what the other cats called you?”</p><p>Gaetan resheaths the blade, and looks down.</p><p>“You miss them.” Letho sighs, a hand on Gaetan’s shoulder. “I know that pain.”</p><p>Gaetan trembles slightly.</p><p>“Come on, Tiger.” Letho holds out his hand, and Gaetan takes it, letting the viper gently guide him out of the hut.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Family</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Using his arm to wipe sweat from his brow, Eskel picks up another brick, spreading mortar over the base before laying it in its place on the wall. It wasn’t quite the same colour as the older bricks around it, but it would stop predators from getting at the goats, and Eskel was always willing to give up aesthetics for practicality.</p><p>He picks up another brick, but also listens to the footsteps approaching him.</p><p>“Ah, Eskel there you are.” Keira says, her hands folded at the small of her back as she walks. “The wall looks nice.”</p><p>“Keira.” He gives her a lopsided salute as he works. “Something I can do for you?”</p><p>“Help me to avoid Lambert.” She shrugs. “It’s for his own good. If I hear one more rat joke, I am going to bury him alive under the potato patch?”</p><p>Eskel nods. “Want me to dig a pit ready.”</p><p>“Would you?” She says, face sincere.</p><p>Chuckling, Eskel turns and sits with his back against an unbroken part of the wall. </p><p>“I’ll have a word with him.” He sighs. “He can take it too far sometimes. Needs to learn to rein it in.”</p><p>“Lambert rein it in?” She looks at the sky. “Eskel, my dear, you would have more luck convincing a rabbit to be celibate.”</p><p>“Why do you put up with him?”</p><p>“Love is blind.” She smiles. “Come on. You’ve been working out here all morning, come rest for a while. The others are in the training yard.”</p><p>“I could use a break.” Eskel nods, accepting her hand for balance as he stands.</p><p>“Eskel. Before we…” Keira shakes her head, a silent conversation quickly playing out in her facial expression as she battles with her own pride. “Gaetan.”</p><p>“What about him?”</p><p>“Thank you. I know we didn’t exactly give you a <em>choice</em>, but thank you, for not turning him away. It means a lot to Lambert. Gaetan is one of his last connections to Aiden. And...and I don’t need to be a mind reader to know that that boy’s been through <em> far </em> too much pain in a short space of time.”</p><p>“You’ve seen his thoughts?”</p><p>“When we first found him. Normally I would seek consent but...he was too loud to <em> not </em> hear.” Keira crosses her arms. “Grief, guilt, fear. And cold. He was <em> so </em> cold. That’s why I made the blanket for him.” Keira looks away. “The cold was the only thing I could help with.”</p><p>“Hey. Look how much progress he’s made in less than a day.” Eskel takes her hand. “He was barely coherent last night, but at breakfast this morning he was listening to all our conversations. He even played a game while he was outside with Letho. Chased a bird around the walls.”</p><p>She smiles.</p><p>“Kaer Morhen is a safe place for him.” Eskel says. “We’ll get him better. Not just because he’s Aiden’s brother, but...but because he’s a fellow Witcher. There’s too few of us left to carry on acknowledging schools and differences. We’re all on the <em> same </em> path. He’s one of us, a kidnapped kid turned into a monster killing freak against their will.”</p><p>“You’re not freaks.”</p><p>“Thank you for bringing him here, Keira. You probably saved his life.”</p><p>“I think Letho has done more than me.”</p><p>Eskel smiles. “He’s fallen in love.”</p><p>Eskel offers his arm to Keira’s hand, walking with her to the training yard.</p><p>“You fighting, or dancing?” Letho’s shout echoes across the keep.</p><p>Ciri and Letho are fighting each other, both armed with daggers, and with Letho shouting constant instruction as Ciri dodges his attacks, before making her own. </p><p>He smiles, and prepares a strike that she blocks, before sending in her own strike that he easily blocks, before using a leg to knock her to the ground.</p><p>She laughs as she looks up. </p><p>“You’ve got good reflexis, Princess; <em> but </em>you always look where you’re about to put your blade. That’s a tell the enemy can use against you.”</p><p>“Can’t really aim without looking.”</p><p>“You can.” Letho smiles. “Got five senses, not one. Fight me this round with your eyes closed. What’s your hearing telling you? What’s your touch telling you?”</p><p>Ciri nods, and closes her eyes.</p><p>Leaving Keira to sit on a bench, Eskel approaches Lambert. The younger wolf is sat cross legged on a rug with the ingredients of dimeritium bombs sorted around him. </p><p>“You normally do that in your workshop.” Eskel says. </p><p>“I was hoping he’d join me.” Lambert says, looking out of the corner of his eye at Gaetan. “He’s good at bombs. One of the winters I spent at Dyn Marv, he taught me one that blinds the enemy. Got me out of a couple of scrapes, that one.”</p><p>Gaetan is sat next to the lit brazier with his knees against his chest, still dressed in the clothes he slept in, with a fur coat and blanket both around his shoulders as watches Letho and Ciri train.</p><p>On the ground next to him is his steel sword.</p><p>“Just keep doing what you’re doing.” Eskel whispers, before approaching Gaetan. “You hungry, cat?”</p><p>Gaetan looks at him, but then shakes his head before resting his chin back on his knees, eyes watching Ciri and Letho train.</p><p>"Ciri already looks like she's used daggers for years." Eskel follows his gaze as he sits down beside Gaetan. “Letho’s a good teacher, huh?”</p><p>Gaetan nods.</p><p>Looking down, Eskel picks up the sword between them, resting it on his lap as he unseaths the blade. </p><p>“Lovely design. Is this a Hattori?”</p><p>Gaetan nods.</p><p>“Good old Éibhear. My silver sword is one of his?” Eskel reseaths the blade. “I’m going to do some armoury maintenance tomorrow. Want me to put some polish on this for you?”</p><p>Gaetan shakes his head, reaching out and quickly pulling the sword into his own lap.</p><p>“Don’t touch your things. Got it.”</p><p>Gaetan flinches, sniffs, and pushes the sword back to Eskel.</p><p>“Hey, it’s alright. I’m not mad.” Eskel shrugs. “You're allowed to protect your own stuff. You..." He stops himself.</p><p>
  <em> You haven't got much left. </em>
</p><p>"...How about you help me in the armoury, tomorrow?”</p><p>Gaetan looks away, and nods. </p><p>In the yard, Ciri is listening intently as Letho explains a move to her. She tries it out, and he smiles. “Good.”</p><p>Ciri dodges Letho’s surprise attack, jumps on his back, and...blinks.</p><p>Gaetan’s eyes widen, his breath quickens, and he seems to teleport himself into the empty yard, sword drawn.</p><p>“Gaetan.” Lambert says. “Gaetan it’s fine. Ciri just has weird shit she can do. They’ll be back soon.”</p><p>Gaetan lowers the sword.</p><p>“Probably fighting on some mountain top in Skellige.” Lambert says. “Sorry, we should have told you. That’s on us.”</p><p>Eskel nods, taking the risk of approaching Gaetan, hand held out. “Let’s go back to the brazier. Your shaking.”</p><p>And he is.</p><p>With a blink of blue light, Ciri and Letho return right next to him...and an aard blast sends them flying into the wall.</p><p>The dust and snow settles.</p><p>“Ciri.” Keira runs forward, kneeling beside the girl as she slowly stirs, a hand going to her head. </p><p>“Ouch.” She groans. “What…”</p><p>Letho stands, brushing snow off of his arm. “Who the <em> fuck </em> threw that.”</p><p>“Are you hurt, Letho?” Eskel asks.</p><p>“Been thrown by worse.” He kneels down next to Ciri and holds up three fingers. “How many fingers you see, Princess?”</p><p>“Three.” She squeezes her eyes shut.</p><p>“And how about me.” Lambert holds up his middle finger, and Ciri opens one eye, chuckling when she sees it.</p><p>“You’re fine.” Keira says, lowering the hand that had been scanning her. “Just winded.”</p><p>“I think my brain is still vibrating.”</p><p>Happy that Ciri was in no immediate danger, Letho stands and searches the yard for… “Gaetan?”</p><p>Eskel turns on the spot, and sees footprints. “There. He’s gone up to the keep.”</p><p>“It was an accident.” Lambert stands. “You startled him. He was already on edge from seeing the blink.” He looks down at Ciri, his voice turning harsh. “Warn people before you show off next time.”</p><p>“Lambert.” Keira and Eskel both scold at the same time.</p><p>“I’m sorry.” Ciri says, quietly.</p><p>The youngest wolf shrugs. “We should...shit.”</p><p>“Lambert?” Keira says. </p><p>He runs up to the rug where he had been bomb building.</p><p>“I had a bottle of grounded dimeritium, right there.” He points at an empty patch. “Did he take it?”</p><p>Ciri stands, slowly approaching the rug.</p><p>“Dimeritium. What happens if it’s used on a witcher.”</p><p>“It stops our signs.” Eskel says.</p><p>“Painfully.” Lambert’s teeth are gritted. </p><p>Letho is already halfway to the keep, following Gaetan’s clear trail through the snow to the very steps where they had cleaned dishes that morning.</p><p>To Gaetan, left hand hand rubbing up and down his naked right arm and hand, the hand that had cast the blast. </p><p>The skin turns grey with the colour of the dimeritium dust, and Gaetan is crying as he continues, picking up more with his right hand and starting to rub his left arm.</p><p>“Stop that.” Letho kneels down, grabbing both of Gaetan’s hands and holding them tightly in his own, eyes fixed on the cat’s as Gaetan shakes his head, pulling his hands away.</p><p>“It was a training accident.” Letho says, calmly. “It was an accident.”</p><p>“I can't lose control, I can't lose control, I can't lose control.”</p><p>“Shhh.” Shifting both of Gaetan’s hands into a single grip, Letho reaches out with the other hand to cup the back of Gaetan’s head. “It wasn’t your fault. No one’s angry with you, Tiger.”</p><p>“I can't lose control, I can't lose control, I can't lose control.”</p><p>“Letho?” Eskel stands next to them, holding Gaetan’s dropped sword in his hand. “Has he broken the skin?”</p><p>“You got any Oriole? Just in case.”</p><p>“Yeah. I’ll go get it.” Eskel nods, and makes his way into the building.</p><p>“I can't lose control.”</p><p>“Let’s get you in the warm.” Letho says, reaching to lift Gaetan into his arms, only for the witcher to flinch, kicking the ground to push himself higher up the steps.</p><p>“NO!” </p><p>“Gaetan.” Letho stands.</p><p>And curling into a tight ball on the step, Gaetan starts to sob.</p><p>“I'm done with hurting people.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“I’m done, you <em> fucking </em>hear me.” Gaetan stands. “I’m done.”</p><p>“I won’t let you hurt anyone.” Letho nods, opening his arms. “And I won’t let anyone hurt you.”</p><p>The cat shakes his head. </p><p>Letho takes a step towards Gaetan, close enough to be able to cast quen around them both. The dimeritium makes the shield weak, but it’s there.</p><p>“You’re safe at Kaer Morhen.” Letho smiles. “You’re safe with us.”</p><p>"Please."</p><p>"It's alright."</p><p>The quen shield drops as soon as Gaetan’s dimeritium covered arms wraps around Letho, but the Viper just wraps his own arms around the cat, kissing the top of his head. </p><p>“You’re safe with us.”</p><p>Gaetan nods against his chest, letting Letho lift him into his arms, carrying him into the keep.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Is this Nutmeg?” Ciri says as she looks into the moonshine mug in her hand.</p><p>“Maybe.” Lambert smiles as he sips his own. </p><p>“Lambert.” Keira scolds as she approaches the group, a plate in her hand. “She’s had a head injury.”</p><p>“What doesn’t kill you…” He raises his mug. </p><p>“...will warn the next poor bastard.” Ciri raises her own. </p><p>They both drink, and Keira shakes her head before kneeling in front of Gaetan and passing the plate. “There you go, sweetheart. I made you a sandwich.”</p><p>They are sitting in a semicircle in front of the main hall fire, blankets and pillows and bedrolls covering the floor around Gaetan’s nest. </p><p>No one is planning to sleep in their own bed tonight. </p><p>Sat in the nest, Gaetan’s chews on the sandwich, and watches the family. A family like Dyn Marv, curled near the fire, hands stroking arms. Purrs. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Dragonfly uses a small mirror to make a light on the floor, and Schrödinger jumps to stand on it. Jumps when Dragonfly moves the light. Jumps again. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> They all laugh, and Axel joins in the game. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> When Gaetan jumps onto the light, Schrödinger and Axel catch him between them, holding him in an embrace while Dragonfly adjusts the mirror, a smile on her face as she points the light into the tree. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> They let go, and Gaetan wins the race. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Eskel sighs, and then shifts so that he is sitting in Gaetan’s line of sight. </p><p>“Look at me Gaetan.”</p><p>After a moment, the cat witcher makes eye contact. </p><p>“Don’t fight it.”</p><p>Gaetan looks away, his jaw tense with anger? Shame?</p><p>“It’s alright.” Eskel says. “In this family, we all have our quirks. Our ways of coping with the shit this world throws at us. No one will judge you, I promise. Come on.” His whispers, standing and holding out his hand, his smile widening when Gaetan takes it, and stands.</p><p>They walk over to the kitchen, behind enough furniture and storage crates to be hidden from the rest of the family, and close enough to the kitchen fire to benefit from its heat as Eskel sits, a cushion against his crossed legs.  </p><p>He looks at the fire, then looks down as he feels a weight against his lap, Gaetan now curled into a ball against the pillow. </p><p>“Hey, Kitten.” The nickname rolls off his tongue as he strokes Gaetan’s side the way he would a cat. “Close your eyes. That’s it. You’ve had a big day. Rest now.”</p><p>Gaetan’s eyes close. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “You’re alright, Tiger.” Joel whispers, smiling as Aiden spreads a blanket over the witcher laid against Joel’s lap.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Kiyan’s disappearance has hit him hard.” Joel says. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Kiyan was his mentor. Like how you were for me.” Aiden shakes his head. “I can’t imagine losing you, Joel.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Nor I you.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “How do we help him?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “We be here for him.” Joel smiles.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Gaetan falls asleep. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Welcome home.” Eskel whispers.</p><p>Eskel looks up, his eyes meeting Letho’s own.</p><p>Letho nods, leaning against the crates as his eyes move from Eskel to Gaetan and watch the cat witcher slip into sleep, a purring sound in his throat.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Violin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A smile comes to Letho’s face when he wakes. It’s been too long since he last woke to a room full of companions, gentle snores and mumbles in sleep. </p><p>Lambert seems to be delivering a monologue as he part whispers, shifting slightly. Curled up next to him, Keira is still, a small smile on her face. </p><p>Ciri is laid on her side at their feet. Relaxed in sleep, hair everywhere and kohl faded, she looks less like a twenty something Witcher and more like a ten year old having a nap, and Letho isn’t really thinking as he reaches over to better arrange her blanket, tucking it in. It’s instinct. </p><p>Letho can see the spot where Eskel had slept between him and the trio. On his other side, Gaetan is laid on his front, completely still. His skin is still ghostly pale, the colour that had slowly returned to his cheeks yesterday now gone again, and Letho sighs as picks up Gaetan’s hand, holding it for a moment.</p><p>Eskel still hasn’t returned. </p><p>Now concerned, Letho slowly stands, bare feet barely registering the cold of the floor as he explores the main hall, looking for...there. Tracks in the dust, and the scent. He follows it to the workshop, finding the door open and shelves bare.</p><p>Eskel is sorting the last of the ingredients into a large box, which he is about to lift before noticing Letho. </p><p>"Moving out?" Letho says, quietly.</p><p>"Dimeritium. Some other ingredients that...I’m just going to put it all in the armoury. It’s a dungeon down there, got a good lock on the door."</p><p>Letho nods. "He scared you too?"</p><p>"Scared me? I’m terrified, Letho. If Gaetan had gotten the dimeritium into his bloodstream…" Eskel takes a breath, calming himself. "He was <em> that </em> desperate not to lose control. He risked..."</p><p>Letho steps forward, and picks up the box. "Lead the way."</p><p>"I’ve been thinking about his room, too."</p><p>Letho chuckles. "Forgot you’d picked one out."</p><p>Eskel shakes his head. "I picked out a <em> guest </em> room. It’s a bed and nothing else. Before we let him use it, we should figure out some things he’d like in there with him. Make it more like a home. More like <em> his </em>."</p><p>"His own territory." Letho nods. "Think Princess will mind making some trips?"</p><p>"What am I being volunteered for now?" Ciri asks, yawning as she appears in the corridor.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Heavy snowfall covers the Velen forest as a flash of blue light has Ciri, Lambert and Gaetan step out, the latter wrapped in so many layers that Lambert finds the results almost comical.</p><p>“Okay.” Ciri bows. “This is where you pointed on the map.” </p><p>Brushing snow aside with a few well aimed aard blasts, Lambert lifts the trap door, revealing the hideout underneath. He climbs down quickly, Gaetan following him.</p><p>“Just grab some momentos.” He says. “Things that’ll make you feel more at home in Kaer Morhen.”</p><p>Gaetan looks around, before kneeling next to a chest near the ladder, and pulling out some old but warm looking clothes. </p><p>“Shall we just bring the chest?” Lambert says, turning on the spot and approaching the far wall.</p><p>A series of monster head trophies hang there, looking out into the room. </p><p>“Did you make these? They look amazing.” Lambert. “Foglet. Ghoul. Grave hag. You’re good at what you do.”</p><p>Gaetan looks past Lambert to the trophies.</p><p>“Do you want to bring these? Could hang them in your room.”</p><p>He slowly nods, and Lambert begins to carefully take them down from the wall, putting them in the chest with the clothes. </p><p>“Gaetan, where’s your fiddle?”</p><p>He shrugs. </p><p>“You don’t want to bring it?”</p><p>He holds up his hand, fingers rubbing against the thumb.</p><p>“You sold it?” Lambert’s face falls. “Gaetan, you <em> loved </em> that thing.”</p><p>Gaetan wraps his arms around his stomach, and shakes his head.</p><p>Lambert sighs, and looks down at the chest. “Ciri, might be best if you port this thing from down here.”</p><p>“Sure.” She says, climbing down into the damp hideout and immediately gritting her teeth. It’s not a home. It’s barely a hovel.</p><p>“Ciri.” Lambert says under his breath, before pointing at the chest. “Can you get this back to his room, kid? Then...take a break.”</p><p>“I’ll be back in half an hour?” She rests her hand on the box, and blinks.</p><p>"And we wait for the next carriage." Lambert leans against the ladder. "Anything else you want to take?"</p><p>Gaetan climbs up the ladder, eyes unfocused as he begins to walk.</p><p>“Gaetan?” Lambert follows, but doesn’t stop the witcher, letting him lead him across the fresh snow.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Gaetan stops at the edge of a village.</p><p>Or...rather...what used to be a village.</p><p>It’s frozen, but under the cold Lambert can smell rot. Months worth of decay, dried blood and necrophage waste. </p><p>A body lays on the path in front of them, little more than skin scraps and bone under the snow, and Gaetan kneels down next to it, clearing the snow and looking from head to toe before settling on a bracelet that the body is wearing. He removes it carefully, and stands, looking around until he sees a box resting next to the entrance of a house.</p><p>He puts the bracelet in the box, and then goes into the house. </p><p>Looking through the window, Lambert watches silently as Gaetan kneels against another decayed body, one too small to have been an adult. He sniffs, closes his eyes for a moment, then opens them again before reaching down and picking up a small doll.</p><p>He steps outside, and puts the doll in the box with the bracelet. </p><p>Lambert nods, and goes into another of the houses, ignoring the couple curled around each other on the floor. </p><p>Gaetan adds an ornament. Lambert adds a scarf. They each add a well read book. A pair of shoes. A coat. A tapestry of Temerian lilies. </p><p>Little things. Little memories of people taken swiftly and cruelly by a moment of madness that Gaetan will regret for the rest of his life. </p><p>The cat’s hands shake as he approaches the barn, looking down at the blood stained pitchfork on the ground.</p><p>Lambert stands beside him. “Is that you’re blood?”</p><p>He nods.</p><p>“This bastard deserved it then.” Lambert says, kicking the decomposing remains laid next to it. “Stabbing someone in the back. Cowards way.”</p><p>He sighs through his teeth, and then wraps a hand around the back of Gaetan’s neck. </p><p>“Gaetan. What happened here was wrong. What you <em> did </em> to those people…” He indicates the rest of the village with a nod. “...was wrong. You know that. And you know it's probably going to take the rest of your life to make up for it. You might <em> never </em> make up for it."</p><p>Gaetan nods, his eyes closed.</p><p>“But, <em> he </em> was also wrong. You had a right to demand payment for the Leshen. You didn’t deserve to die for wanting to <em> eat </em>.” He turns Gaetan, so that their eyes meet. “You. Didn’t. Deserve. To die. You still don’t. Nor do you deserve to be in pain.” He rubs the arm where, yesterday, Gaetan had applied the dimeritium. “You know that too, right?”</p><p>Gaetan doesn’t respond, and Lambert brings their foreheads together.</p><p>“I’m sorry.” Lambert says. “I’m sorry they did that to you. I’m sorry that you were so desperate and…and so alone. I should have found you sooner.”</p><p>Gaetan shakes his head, reaching up to pat Lambert’s chest, and the wolf’s hand moves from the back of his neck to the back of his head.</p><p>“You know, you don’t have to go back on the path next year. Not if you don’t want to.” </p><p>Gaetan leans back slightly, his mouth falling open. </p><p>“I get it.” Lambert smiles. “It's a frightening thought. Path is all we know. But...the elders are dead. The schools are gone. <em>No</em> <em>one</em> is in charge of our destiny now except us. There is nothing stopping you from saying <em>fuck</em> the humans. Leave them to the monsters if <em>that’s</em> the thanks you’re getting.” He points at the pitchfork. “You don’t owe them anything.” </p><p>He brings their foreheads together again, and he’s thinking about the fiddle. How starvation and desperation had both forced Gaetan to sell something that gave him so much joy, just because humans didn’t see why they should pay a mutant for a job well done.</p><p>It wasn’t fair.</p><p>The steel sword would have earned five times what the instrument was worth, but Lambert doubts Gaetan’s swords were ever an option to sell. What was a Witcher without their swords? And Lambert knows from Aiden that, while in the cat school silver swords were tools to upgrade and replace as seen fit, an adept’s steel sword was gifted by their mentors, the one responsible for ensuring their physical and mental well-being during their first years on the path. </p><p>Gaetan's steel sword was personalized with the runes, and made by Hattori himself. His mentor had spared no expense in welcoming the youngest cat to the path, and selling the swords would have felt like a betrayal. </p><p>So Gaetan had betrayed his own happiness instead.</p><p>"You are free now.” Lambert says. “Free to be whatever and whoever <em> you </em> want to be. And maybe that <em> is </em> a Witcher...or maybe it’s someone else. And...you’re free to stay with us too, if that’s what you want.”</p><p>Gaetan bites at his bottom lip, and nods. </p><p>“Think about it.” He takes Gaetan’s hand. “Come on. Ciri will be waiting for us.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>As soon as he steps out of Ciri’s portal, Gaetan as good as collapses in the main hall, his body emotionally and physically spent, done for the day. Lambert catches him before he hits the ground, carrying him to the blanket nest in the main hall and, after removing the layer upon layer of furs that Letho had insisted on, tucking the younger witcher under the blankets.</p><p>Gaetan has been there ever since, eyes half lidded and fixed on the fire as he curls on his side. </p><p>Eskel sits cross legged by his head, while Letho sits beside Gaetan, holding his hand. Things are quiet for some time, then the scarred witcher begins to read out loud from a book about the Redanian Blue Stripes. Or rather, a book that <em> claims </em> to be about the Stripes, because it soon has Letho pointing out inaccuracies in the accounts. </p><p>The conversation that results is light hearted, with Letho telling stories and Eskel adding anecdotes as they move further and further from the original topic, The viper working humour into each tale, just to hear the sound sound of Eskel’s laugh.</p><p>If Gaetan is hearing the words, he isn’t responding. But he blinks, and his eyes shift with each change of speaker, and sometimes he smiles. </p><p>The afternoon becomes the evening, and their medallions hum, Eskel looking up as an orange disk appears in the main hall.</p><p>“Where the hell have you two been?” Eskel asks, once the noise has quietened down.</p><p>“Novigrad.” Keira says, a slight exhaustion in her voice as she sits on the ground next to Letho. She rests a case on the ground in front of her. “Lambert wanted to speak to Dandelion.”</p><p>“You went to Dandelion?”</p><p>Lambert nods. "Needed advice."</p><p>Letho looks at him. "From a <em> bard </em>?"</p><p>Lambert kneels down next to Eskel, and Keira hands him the case.</p><p>“Hand picked by the future Viscountess de Lettenhove herself.” He opens the case, tipping it slightly so that Gaetan can look inside without sitting up. “Priscilla gave me about a hundred reasons why <em> this </em> was the best one. The wood’s strong, so she should survive if you take her on the path. Acoustics are good too, as Priscilla demonstrated in the shop.”</p><p>Keira nods.</p><p>“Craftsman was someone whose name alone added about fifty gold to the price, I think.” Lambert smiles. “Don’t worry about that. Toussaint pays well to have spriggans kept out of the vinyards.”</p><p>Eskel chuckles.</p><p>Lambert carefully takes the instrument out of the case. “Also, Dandelion kept smacking me for calling it a fiddle. You gotta call it a violin.” </p><p>Lambert’s smile grows as Gaetan quietly reaches out, fingertips brushing against the smooth wood. </p><p>Silently, the younger witcher takes the instrument by the neck, cradling it against his chest the way he might a tiny child before closing his eyes. </p><p>“Careful you don’t break it.” Lambert puts the case on the floor, his free hand reaching out to rest against the instrument.</p><p>“He won’t break it.” Letho says quietly as Gaetan’s eyes open, looking at Lambert for a moment before closing again.</p><p>“Yeah.” The witcher nods, patting Gaetan’s shoulder. “You look ready for bed. Want to see your new room?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Meeting Gaetan</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Render by the lovely Embeer2004. https://marbienl13.tumblr.com/</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Over the next few days, the witcher family meets Gaetan. </p><p>They meet a man who dedicates himself to caring for the people that look after him in turn. He wakes early to light the fires in the main hall and kitchen. He spends an entire day going around the keep and fixing every squeaky hinge and broken latch. Another day he cooks dinner, which...well, Eskel thanks him, but also suggests that he leave the cooking to others in future. </p><p>The next day Gaetan disappears just long enough to cause a panic before they find him standing at the entrance of Kaer Morhen with a huge deer across his shoulders. </p><p>They let him have first choice of the venison cuts.</p><p> </p><p>Over the next few days, the witcher family meets Gaetan. </p><p>They meet a Gaetan who loves music, who will happily sit for hours running bow over strings, sometimes following a composition they recognise (“That’s one of Essi Daven’s ballads” Ciri had said) and sometimes just a stream of consciousness sound that morphs with Gaetan’s ever changing emotions. </p><p> </p><p>“Who taught him?” Eskel asks Lambert one night. </p><p>The witcher shrugs. “Best as I know, he taught himself. One of the masters might have guided him. Dyn Marv encouraged hobbies, good outlets for emotions…you know. Like a distraction.”</p><p>“Did Aiden have one? A hobby?”</p><p>Lambert looks down, sighing.</p><p>“He liked to read.”</p><p> </p><p>Over the next few days, the witcher family meets Gaetan. </p><p>In training, Letho meets a formidable foe. Even when he is armed with a wooden sword (Gaetan’s anxieties not letting him trust himself with real weapons), Letho wonders if he could beat him in an <em>actual</em> fight. The cat is a grandmaster in stealth tactics. He throws bombs to disorientate and blind, he can walk without making a sound, and Letho is pretty sure that Gaetan could hide in the middle of a fucking field. </p><p>And when he comes out of stealth, and enters the one on one fight, he is fast.</p><p>Letho soon grows to love training with Gaetan. It’s the few times he sees the cat smile, the same smile he had had while chasing the bird. Gaetan in a situation where he <em> knows </em> that he is skilled, giving a boost to an otherwise damaged confidence. But also Gaetan just having genuine fun as he turns, dodges, and counters Letho’s attack with a satisfying clack of wooden sword against wooden sword.</p><p>Letho wonders if Gaetan smiles when playing the violin, but the Witcher only ever practices in his room with the door closed. A private little world.</p><p>Dodging another attack, Gaetan jumps and lands stradling Letho’s shoulders, the wooden sword held under his chin, against the viper's throat. </p><p>Moving it to half an inch from the skin, Gaetan slides it along.</p><p>Letho nods. “Win.” </p><p>Gaetan is still smiling as he lands, moving the sword to his left hand so that he can accept Letho’s handshake.</p><p>“Looks like you’re back to full strength, Tiger.” Letho nods. “Well done.”</p><p>On the other side of the yard, Eskel and Lambert are training, Ciri shouting advice from where she is sat by the brazier. </p><p>She had announced herself as <em> indisposed </em>when summoned to training that morning. It earned her a cup of warm tea from Keira and, not long afterwards, a plate of cooked fish from Gaetan.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Sat curled up in the corner of the camp, Dragonfly smiles as Gaetan offers her the plate. “Thanks, Tiger.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Ciri accepted the plate with a smile, patting Gaetan on the shoulder before taking a bite of the fish and nodding.</p><p>Now, Ciri continues to shout and cheer as Eskel and Lambert move on to signs, throwing Igni at quen, fighting axii and slowing aards with yrden. Letho laughs as he watches from the sidelines, and Ciri quickly grabs Lambert to whisper in his ear.</p><p>The wolf nods, and then returns to fighting Eskel for a few minutes, before turning. </p><p>“Letho, think fast.”</p><p>The aard blast fires across the yard a moment later, and Letho is already moving to dodge and counter, only to grunt when a sudden weight lands on his back. </p><p>The surprise and momentum of it forces Letho to fall to his knees as a quen shield rises around him. Not his own. </p><p>
  
</p><p>The bubble explodes as soon as the telekinetic force hits it, leaving only a hum in its wake.</p><p>Letho looks over his shoulder to find Gaetan’s face. The cat’s eyes are squeezed shut, fingers tight around the cloth of Letho’s armour.</p><p>In a fight, Gaetan is <em> fast </em>.</p><p>“Wow, Gaetan.” Lambert nods, clearly impressed. “That was amazing.”</p><p>“You moved faster than Ciri.” Eskel says.</p><p>And Gaetan launches at Lambert, hissing as he stands between Letho and the wolf, eyes wild.</p><p>“Gaetan...hey…” Eskel holds up a hand.</p><p>And Gaetan just as suddenly falls to his own knees, trembling. </p><p>And they meet a man terrified of his own anger. So afraid of losing control. Of Honorton happening again. So afraid that as soon as he feels the emotion or close to it he panics, and disconnects from reality. </p><p>Stares into nothingness, and locks himself away in a place deep within his mind where he can’t hurt anyone.</p><p>Letho kneels beside the cat, wrapping an arm around him. </p><p>“Thanks, Gaetan.” He kisses his temple. “You protected me. You did good.”</p><p>Lambert nods, as does Eskel. </p><p>“Yeah. You did good, Gaetan.” Ciri says, climbing down from her perch beside the brazier. </p><p>It isn’t clear if Gaetan is listening, but his breathing has calmed and Letho takes that as enough as he helps the witcher to stand, leading him to his own spot beside the brazier.</p><p>“We’re all family here.” Letho says, quietly. “We’ll do things in jest but never to hurt. Worst Lambert would have done with that aard is knocked me on my ass, and he knows that.” He rubs a thumb back and forth across Gaetan’s cheek. “They’re just trying to catch me out.” He looks at Ciri.</p><p>Because he saw the whisper. He <em> knows </em> it was Ciri’s idea. </p><p>She winks back, and Letho grins before turning to Gaetan again. </p><p>“But the wolf’s right.” He says. “That was a good reflex. Had that quen up in no time at all.”</p><p>“Yeah.” Eskel nods.</p><p>“Sorry Gaetan." Lambert crosses his arms. "Didn’t mean to scare you.”</p><p>The cat climbs down from the ledge, and picks up his wooden sword.</p><p>“You not done for the day?” Letho asks.</p><p>Gaetan shakes his head, and looks at Lambert, an amused glint coming to his eye.</p><p>“Ah dammit.” The wolf says, grabbing the wooden sword that Letho throws him and laughing as Gaetan then runs at him.</p><p>They all watch and cheer on the fight, and Gaetan wins.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Sighing, Letho sinks further into the hot springs, letting the heat soothe muscles aching from an afternoon of clearing rubble around the keep. Eyes closed, he rests his head against the edge of the pool, and then opens one eye upon hearing footsteps.</p><p>Gaetan is wearing a long shirt and shorts, a clothe in one hand and a bar of soap in the other. Sitting beside Letho’s head, he legs in the water, he wets the cloth and lathers the soap into it.</p><p>“What did I do to deserve this treatment?” Letho asks as he holds up his arm for Gaetan to take, the cat holding it against his bare knees as he gently runs the cloth across the skin before moving on to work on Letho’s shoulder and what of his back is above the water. Then Gaetan moves, repeating the actions on the other side.</p><p>Letho chuckles as the cloth moves to his head. </p><p>Letho helped Gaetan bathe a few times in the beginning, when the younger witcher’s healing body and mind had often been too exhausted at the end of a day to handle more than just staying above the water. </p><p>In some ways, he missed being needed in that way. Being able to use such a simple method of tenderness to tell Gaetan that he is at Kaer Morhen to be cared for. That this is his new home. His new Dyn Marv.</p><p>But he also welcomes the man that he is slowly meeting, as each aspect of Gaetan's personality emerge from the shell that Honorton and the lonely months afterwards had forced them into.</p><p>He can't wait to hear his voice. Properly hear it, not the snippets of pained sentences he's had so far.</p><p>Gaetan is purring as he puts the cloth to one side before using his fingers to massage Letho’s scalp, and the viper would be lying if he said that that didn’t send tingles down his spine.</p><p>He hums. “That feels nice.”</p><p>The younger witcher reaches down, picking up handfuls of water to rinse Letho’s skin with, fingers guiding droplets and loose suds down the back of his head.</p><p>When his head is clear, Letho reluctantly turns and takes the washcloth. “I’ll handle the rest. You going to bathe?”</p><p>Gaetan nods, quickly removing his clothes into a heaped pile before slipping into the pool next to the viper.</p><p>"Wounds have healed well." Letho comments, noticing the pitchfork wound, now a scar, on Gaetan’s back before it disappears beneath the water. “That salve Keira makes did a good job.”</p><p>The cat nods, but is otherwise quiet, occasionally glancing at Letho out of the corner of his eye as he applies soap to the cloth and begins cleaning his own limbs. </p><p>An idea forms in the back of the Viper’s mind as he recalls the mischievous smile on Gaetan’s face that morning, before the ‘fight’ with Lambert. And he puts his hand in the water, and pushes.</p><p>The wave hits Gaetan in the face, and he coughs, wiping at his eyes before turning to Letho with a look of irritation that quickly softens to a smile before pushing water back. Slowed by being mostly submerged, Letho only just manages to dodge, standing and sending another wave. </p><p>Gaetan dives, proving to be as agile in the water as he is on the land as he turns beneath the surface and comes to stand at full height, pushing and hitting Letho square in the face with the wave. The viper laughs, and opens his eyes to find Gaetan stood right in front of him. </p><p>As they still, he can hear the cat purring.</p><p>And then, Gaetan’s lips are against his. </p><p>The kiss is quick, Gaetan pulling away as soon as the viper does. Then the younger witcher seems to collapse within himself, his shoulders falling, the light in his eyes fading to be replaced with a burning anger. But not anger at Letho. </p><p>It is his own skin that Gaetan’s fingernails dig into.</p><p>“Stop that.” The viper scolds.</p><p>Gaetan turns to the edge of the pool, clearly panicking as he pulls himself out. </p><p>“Gaetan.” Letho calls, climbing out himself. “Wait.”</p><p>Trembling hands pull his shorts back on over wet skin, and he hisses when Letho takes his arm, pulling the limb back and grabbing his shirt. </p><p>"Gaetan!"</p><p>And the cat is gone. </p><p>Stark naked on the edge of the hot springs, Letho looks up at the ceilings. </p><p>Shit.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Merry Christmas &lt;3 &lt;3 &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Dyn Marv</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A humming bubble surrounds Keira’s illusion. </p><p>A dressing table with a patterned mirror, an ornate wooden chair, and an armoire containing her evening gowns. </p><p>Already wearing the night gown, she releases her hair from the tie that has held it back all day and uses both brush and fingers to tidy the strands, stopping to look over her shoulder when she hears footsteps in the corridor behind her. </p><p>“Gaetan.” She smiles, putting down the brush and turning slightly in the chair. “Off to bed?”</p><p>Gaetan hovers at his own bedroom door.</p><p>“Have you been crying?” She stands, stopping at the door and reaching out with her hand, smiling when Gaetan takes it. “Long day?”</p><p>Gaetan nods, biting his bottom lip. Then he looks past Keira into the bedroom. </p><p>“Admiring my dressing room?” She steps to one side so that Gaetan can look the illusion up and down as he enters, stepping into the bubble and startling when the wood becomes opaque, the mirror reflective. </p><p>“This is a simple illusion.” She says, hoping to be able to distract Gaetan from whatever thoughts are troubling him. “I can make them far more complicated than this.” </p><p>Gaetan looks at his own reflection, then looks away, studying the floor of the illusion now that it is visible to him.</p><p>She smiles. “Would you like one?”</p><p>He looks at her.</p><p>“Perhaps a mummer’s troup to play your violin with?” She tilts her head to one side. “I can even give you a stage with an adoring audience to perform to. Or something else...just, oh Gaetan.”</p><p>He looks at her. <em> Really </em> looks at her, and Keira swallows, nodding. </p><p>“Of course, sweetheart.” She cups his face, thumb stroking his cheek as her voice drops to a whisper. “Let me see.”</p><p>She cups his face with both hands, looking into his amber eyes, but also past them. Then her hands slide down his arms, taking hold of his own hands as a beautiful fur coat appears to replace her night gown.</p><p>“Come with me, sweetheart.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“Eskel?”</p><p>Eskel looks up from the meat he is marinating, smiling. He picks up a cloth to wipe his hands as he approaches Letho. “There you are.” </p><p>They kiss, but then Eskel steps back. “Letho?”</p><p>“Something happened.” The Viper drawls. “Need to tell you straight. Ain’t going to keep secrets from you.”</p><p>Putting the cloth down on the table, Eskel crosses his arms. “Is it Gaetan?”</p><p>Letho nods. </p><p>“Is he okay…”</p><p>“He kissed me.”</p><p>Eskel looks sideways. “He...<em> kissed </em> you.”</p><p>“In the baths.” Letho nods, crossing his own arms. “We were messing around, play fighting. And then he just…”</p><p>“Kissed you.” Eskel says, his face blank.</p><p>“It was quick. I pulled back and then he did and...”</p><p>Eskel takes a deep breath, and then nods. “And then?”</p><p>“He ran off.”</p><p>“Did you go after him?”</p><p>“Followed his trail to Lambert’s room.” Letho looks in that direction. “He’s with Keira. Figured Sorceress can take care of him for a bit while I found you.”</p><p>“Well, she manages to take care of Lambert.” Eskel smirks, leaning back against the kitchen wall with his arms crossed. “So, is Gaetan a better kisser than me?”</p><p>Letho blinks.</p><p>Eskel laughs. “Letho, did you think I’d be mad?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“I’m yours.”</p><p>“My partner, not my property.” Eskel takes one of his hands on both of his own. “You can have friends and affections outside of us. I’m not fool enough to keep <em> that </em>big heart all to myself.”</p><p>“It <em> is </em>yours.”</p><p>“Thank you.” Eskel says, a fond glow in his eyes as he looks at Letho. “But seriously. Yes okay, he kissed you, but it’s not as if Gaetan tried to plough you against the flagstone.” He suddenly turns serious. “Did he?”</p><p>Letho shakes his head.</p><p>“That <em> would </em> have been a different conversation.” Eskel says, squeezing Letho’s hand. “It was just a kiss, Letho. Really, if you think about it, it’s no different to me kissing Keira on the cheek this morning.” </p><p>Letho sighs, relief clear in his eyes. </p><p>“You were really worried about telling me, weren’t you?”</p><p>“Thought I’d lose you, Eskel.”</p><p>“You’ll have to try harder than getting a kiss from a cat.” Eskel taps his cheek. “We do need to be careful though. I don’t want to belittle him, but Gaetan <em> is </em> vulnerable. If he’s feeling that sort of affection for you, well, is it <em> love </em> or...you know...”</p><p>“A lost soul looking for safe harbour.” Letho nods. </p><p>“I was going to say a survival instinct.” Eskel nods. “If he’s still feeling unstable.”</p><p>“I don’t know.” Letho looks down. “I don’t want to hurt him.”</p><p>“And we won’t.” Eskel says. “We’ll talk to him, and just...take it slow, alright.”</p><p>“We?”</p><p>“Partners. Remember.” Eskel kisses him again, deeper this time. </p><p>“Come on.” He says against Letho’s lips. “Let’s go find your Tiger.”</p><p>Letho doesn’t move at first, swallowing when Eskel looks back at him.</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>“Don’t mention it.” Eskel smiles, and they leave the kitchen, heading out into the main hall and stopping at the sound of...laughter? </p><p>Gaetan’s laughter? And others.</p><p>But…</p><p>Reaching the front door, they grab their furs and step out into the yard, eyes quickly adjusting to the twilight as they follow the sound, descending the steps and going through what’s left of the archway into the lower courtyard. </p><p>A humming bubble surrounds Keira’s illusion.</p><p>Gaetan picks up a snowball and throws it, hitting the white outline of a woman in the back. The woman’s laugh echoes ethereally across the courtyard as she turns, the outline of her cat school medallion visible against her chest as she picks up her own snowball, throwing it back. Gaetan dodges, and the ball hits the white outline of a caravan behind him.</p><p>More witchers join in, snowballs flying left and right, impact sounds punctuating laughs and cheers around Gaetan as he plays, hitting another Witcher on the arm, grabbing another snowball, and jumping to climb on top of the frame of the caravan, throwing and hitting another witcher on the leg. </p><p>The witcher turns, throwing a two finger salute at Gaetan before grabbing his own snowball off of the wall beside him. </p><p>And Eskel recognises him. “Aiden.”</p><p>Letho steps closer to the illusion, Eskel following him to join the group watching. </p><p>Ciri is the first to turn, thick lines of kohl covering each cheek as she sniffs, smiles and then looks back. </p><p>Lambert has his face pressed into the back of Keira’s shoulder, his arms wrapped around her as she works to alter and maintain the illusion. Eskel sighs, and rests a hand on his younger brother’s back before turning to look at the illusion of Aiden, now trying to climb up the caravan to chase Gaetan.</p><p>Keira tenses, nods, and looks to the side.</p><p>And another Witcher steps into the bubble, dressed for the path.</p><p>Gaetan jumps down from the caravan, mouth falling open. “Kiyan?”</p><p>The witcher smiles, opening his arms just in time to receive the smaller cat as Gaetan lands against his chest, his own arms wrapping around the illusion.</p><p>“Took you long enough, you mad man.” Aiden says as he jumps down. </p><p>Joel nods in agreement as he approaches the pair and pats Kiyan’s arm. “Welcome home.”</p><p>Kiyan only has eyes for Gaetan as he rests his fingertips beneath his chin, tilting the head up. “I’ve missed you.”</p><p>Gaetan nods. “I’ve missed you, too.”</p><p>“He’s talking.” Keira whispers, looking at Letho and Eskel. Behind her, Lambert looks up, emotions clear in his face as he nods.</p><p>“Come on, mad man. You should rest.” Gaetan takes Kiyan’s swords for him, carrying them into one of the caravans while the older witcher follows. “Are you hungry?” </p><p>Kiyan shakes his head. “Rest sounds good though, Gaetan. Stay with me?”</p><p>“Sure.” Through the outline they see Gaetan carefully store the swords away, before kicking off his shoes and climbing into one of the bunks. Kiyan climbs in behind him, wrapping his arms around the cat and pulling him close. </p><p>“<em> Now </em> I’m home.” Kiyan says as Gaetan turns to face him, his forehead against Kiyan’s chest.</p><p>They are both asleep in seconds, Axel smiling as he quietly draws the curtain closed on them before joining the rest of the cats sitting by the fire, arms wrapped around each other for warmth and companionship as they break into an elvish song.</p><p>A family. Together, and now complete.</p><p>And Gaetan visibly relaxes as, in his sleep, he hears the familiar song filter into the caravan.</p><p>The illusion fades until all that is left is Gaetan, the witcher curled up on the ground, his head pillowed by his arm, body wrapped in furs. And Letho feels weightless as he kneels down next to the cat, lifting him gently into his arms.</p><p>“I’m sorry.” He whispers, kissing Gaetan’s forehead. “I’m sorry they’re gone.”</p><p>“Let’s get him inside.” Eskel says. “We can talk to him in the morning.”</p><p>Letho nods.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>They sit by Gaetan’s bedside long enough to be sure that his sleep is without nightmares, then slowly walk to their own bedroom, Letho holding Eskel close the entire journey and only letting go when he turns to sit on the bed, eyes fixed on the wall.</p><p>Eskel sits beside him, waiting for Letho to be the first to speak. </p><p>“Serrit and Auckes.” The viper says, quietly. “Give anything to see them again. Even if only for an hour.”</p><p>Eskel nods, reaching down to hold Letho’s hand. </p><p>“Deidre. Leo. And Vesemir.”</p><p>The Viper closes his eyes. “And you.”</p><p>Eskel looks up, meeting Letho’s eyes as the larger witcher turns to look at him. </p><p>“Me?”</p><p>“Meant what I said. I can’t lose you.” Letho swallows. “If you died...I’d do <em> anything </em> to see you again. I’d kill a hundred kings. I’d...”</p><p>“Well, the royals of the continent are in luck. I’m not dying just yet.” Eskel’s grin quickly falls when a single tear forms in the corner of Letho’s eye, sliding down his cheek. “Letho?”</p><p>“I love you.” He says.</p><p>“Hey. I love you too.” Eskel pulls Letho into a hug, his face pressed into the Viper’s crown.</p><p>“I love you.” Letho says into Eskel’s chest.</p><p>“Shhh. Lay down, Letho.” Eskel leans him back, and places a gentle kiss on each closed eye. “Let <em> me </em> take care of <em> you </em>, tonight.”</p><p>Letho nods, and does just that.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>It is a warm evening in Corvo Bianco as a blue light fills the stable for a moment.</p><p>Ciri coughs, picking up straw from her hair. </p><p>“Dammit. Missed.” Then she smiles. “Hello, Roach.”</p><p>The horse neighs affectionately, chewing at her shoulder for a moment.</p><p>“Ciri?” Yennefer is rubbing the last of the sleep from her eyes as she approaches the stable, then smiles. “Ciri!” </p><p>She runs forward, embracing her daughter. </p><p>“Oh, it’s so good to see you.” She steps back, hand’s on Ciri’s shoulders and now seeing the lines of kohl staining her cheeks. “What happened?”</p><p>“Nothing.” Ciri shakes her head. “I just…” She looks over Yennefer’s shoulder at Geralt.</p><p>“Ciri?” He reaches out, his hand over Yennefer’s on her shoulder.</p><p>“I just needed to be with you tonight.” She says, looking from Geralt to Yennefer.</p><p>“Of course.” Yennefer nods, holding her close again. “Of course.”</p><p>Standing behind Geralt, Barnabas-Basil folds his hands behind his back. “Would you like me to prepare the guest bedroom, sir?”</p><p>“That won't be necessary, BB.” Geralt says. “Ciri will stay with us. Thanks though.” </p><p>“I will inform Marlene.” He bows, and goes into the house.</p><p>“Oh, look at you.” Marlene starts to fuss as soon as Ciri is over the threshold. “I have a stock from the chicken at lunch. I am making soup for you, dear. Would you like bread with it?”</p><p>“Thank you.” Ciri nods.</p><p>The family moves into the master bedroom. And there they sit quietly on the bed, holding each other close until Marlene appears in the doorway, holding a tray.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, this fic has hit 1500 hits :'-} Thank you &lt;3 &lt;3 &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The Other Violin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There are probably those who considered Zoltan Chivay an idiot. After all, he is a dwarf who has chosen to live and run a business in Novigrad, a city where all a non-human needs to do to get burned at the stake is sneeze at the wrong volume. </p><p>It is something he is acutely aware of as he crosses the street under the heavy weight of glares and whispers, nevertheless with his head held high and a proud glint in his eye as he stops at the doors to the bath house and, after taking a breath, knocks three times. </p><p>“We’re closed.” Comes the high pitched voice from the other side. </p><p>“Got a message for Sigismund Dijkstra.” Zoltan crosses his arm. “From Dandelion?”</p><p>A moment, and then a slider opens in the door, narrow brown eyes looking left and right, then down. “He’s not with you?”</p><p>“No.” Zoltan raises a hand to the back of his head. “He seemed to remember Dijkstra threatening to cut off his head and feed his balls to your cave troll.”</p><p>“Bart is a Rock troll.” Happen corrects. “And also a vegetarian.”</p><p>“Reassuring, that is.”</p><p>“One moment, please.” Happen closes the slider, leaving Zoltan to have a staring contest with a nearby Witch Hunter until finally the door opens. </p><p>“Proceed.” Happen says, inviting the dwarf inside with a sweep of his hand.</p><p>Sigismund Dijkstra does not look up from the document he is writing as Zoltan enters his study.</p><p>“What is the idiot’s message?”</p><p>Zoltan clears his throat. “Well, as it is, a mutual acquaintance…”</p><p>“Dudu?”</p><p>“Dudu.” Zoltan nods. “Well, he’s gone and told Dandelion that you’re in the market for a new...errands man.”</p><p>“I am.” Dijkstra continues to write.</p><p>“And, if you don’t mind waiting till winter’s end, Dandelion was wondering, so he was, if you would consider a witcher in the role?”</p><p>“A witcher?” Dijkstra laughs, resting his pen in its holder and looking up at the dwarf. “I thought Geralt was all settled in the wine country.”</p><p>“Yeah, brace yourself for a shock, son, but Geralt isn’t the only witcher on the continent.”</p><p>“You surprise me.” Dijkstra raises a hand. “Alright, I’m listening.”</p><p>“Young witcher. Probably the youngest in fact. Cat school trained. Had a bit of trouble in Valen last few months, so he’s resting up at Kaer Morhen, but come spring he should be looking for opportunities if you’ve got an offer for him. There’s a catch though.”</p><p>“Usually is.”</p><p>“Laddie’s got a bounty on his head in Novigrad.”</p><p>“Don’t we all.” Djikstra nods, leaning back in his chair. “Cat school. Assassins and spies. I can work with that. Your witcher got a name?”</p><p>“Gaetan.”</p><p>Djikstra sits up straighter. “Gaetan?”</p><p>“Aye.” Zoltan shrugs. “Toussaint name, although Lambert says the accent is about as far from Toussaint as a cloudy day...”</p><p>Djikstra shakes his head. “I’ve heard that name recently.”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“Come with me, Master Dwarf.” Djikstra says, standing.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“He’s not a sideshow oddity for you and your friends to gawk at, Sigi.”</p><p>“Not my reasons, Francis.” Djikstra says as he and Zoltan follow the King of Beggars through the streets of Putrid Grove to a small, unassuming town house. </p><p>Through the open window of the attic, they can hear violin music. </p><p>Francis knocks. “It’s me.”</p><p>“Come in.”</p><p>Francis opens the door, and then steps aside, allowing Djikstra and Zoltan to enter. </p><p>While the outside of the house seems ordinary, the contents are far from it. Zoltan feels like he’s stepped into a herbalist paradise, filled with every type of alchemy ingredient. Apparatus and illusions are trying out experiment after experiment, while a quill writes to paper on its own. </p><p>And at the centre of the chaos is a series of small, bubbling pots of pinkish, flesh like blobs held over a fire and watched by a young looking woman.</p><p>“Anabelle.” Francis bows in greeting, and indicates their guests. “You know Sigi Reuven?”</p><p>“Of course.” She says with a fond tone. “The man who helped my brothers and sisters escape to Kovir.”</p><p>“Well, I was there. Francis here has done more for you lot.” </p><p>Francis shakes his head. “We all do our part.”</p><p>Djikstra indicates Zoltan. “Zoltan Chivay. This is Anabelle of Cidaris”</p><p>“A pleasure, Master Dwarf.” Anabelle picks up a spoon, and stirs the contents of one of the pots before looking at Francis. “I believe that this one is ready.”</p><p>Francis smiles, then indicates for Djikstra and Zoltan to follow him to a small, narrow corridor. </p><p>A set of stairs that barely look strong enough to take the weight of a child, much less three grown men, leads them to a large attic bedroom. </p><p>Against the ceiling, a mage’s illusion plays a gentle violin ballad, surrounded by other visuals, small stories playing out like shadow puppets. And the display is clearly fascinating the room’s single occupant. </p><p>The...creature is the only word that Zoltan’s mind will provide...is laid by spell so it is slightly elevated from the ground, with nothing but air touching its naked body. The body that seems to be missing its skin in many places and otherwise covered in wounds and bruises. </p><p>Muscles twitch with each movement, each breath. Blood flow is visible as it travels from the brain and back. </p><p>Eyes red with blood and damage move from the ‘shadow puppets’ to the focus on the illusion of the violin, following the bow as it travels backwards and forwards across the strings. </p><p>“What kind of monster is that?” Zoltan says.</p><p>“One <em> made </em>by monsters.” Francis replies sternly.</p><p>“The violin is new.” Djikstra says.</p><p>Francis nods. “By chance one day, one of the bards was practicing a fiddle outside the window. We saw his reaction instantly.” He smiles. “You love this instrument, don’t you my friend?” </p><p>The creature’s eyes turn to look at him, wide with panic.</p><p>“It’s alright.” Francis raises a hand, placating, addressing the creature the way he would a frightened animal. He then looks at Zoltan. “The paralysis spell is stopping him from feeling the immense pain in his body. But it stops him from moving as well. He can find that frightening in his more lucid moments.”</p><p>“Drink?” The creature says.</p><p>“You’re thirsty?” Francis turns to find Djikstra already pouring water into a cup from a decanter in the corner.</p><p>“It talks?” Zoltan shakes his head. “<em> He </em> talks?”</p><p>Francis nods as he takes the cup, coming to the 'bed' and carefully tilting the creature’s head so that he can sip.</p><p>“There.” He pulls the cup back when it is finished. “Do you remember Sigi?” </p><p>The creature looks past Francis to the spymaster.</p><p>Djikstra’s nods his greeting. “I’ve brought someone to meet you.” He places a hand on the dwarf’s shoulder. “This is Zoltan.” He pats the dwarf’s shoulder. </p><p>“It’s alright, my friend. He won’t hurt you.” Francis looks over his shoulder at the dwarf. “When <em> Cyprian Wiley </em> decided to find religion, a lot of his more criminal assets fell to me. Including his...collections.”</p><p>He looks back at the creature. “As best as I can tell, Whoreson Junior’s people found him while looting an old laboratory under Temple Isle. Wiley kept him in a cage like an animal. His <em> pet </em>.”</p><p>“As if witcher’s don’t suffer enough to become what they are.” Djikstra’s voice is barely more than a growl. </p><p>“A witcher?” Zoltan looks at him.</p><p>“That’s what we believe.” Francis says. “From the notes that Whoreson found.”</p><p>“Poor sod was the victim of experiments and torture.” Djikstra growls. “Didn’t even seem to be a point to them. Just a crazy mage having <em> fun </em>while they flayed him alive.”</p><p>Francis nods. “Anabelle has been working on the physical injuries. But the mind isn’t as easily repaired, even by a powerful sorceress. For that, he will just need gentleness and time.” He smiles at the creature. “Won’t you my friend?”</p><p>The creature...no, the witcher...is focused on the ‘shadow puppets’ again. </p><p>“It’s ready.”</p><p>They all turn to look at Anabelle as she enters, one of the small pots in her hands. </p><p>“Is he calm?”</p><p>“Yes.” Francis smiles at the witcher, then steps back, making room for Anabelle as she comes to stand by the witcher’s head, smiling down at him. </p><p>“It’s going to be okay.”</p><p>And she pours the contents of the pot onto his forehead, before guiding the...is it alive? Zoltan grits his teeth as he watches her spread the blob across the forehead and down the left side of the witcher’s face, covering the bridge of his nose and the corner of his mouth and philtrum. Covering over the left eye and sculpting with her finger nail, moving the new lid up and down. </p><p>The blob tans slightly in colour as it settles, hairs growing out near the mouth.</p><p>It stops moving, and Anabelle closes her eyes, a hand hovering over the witcher’s face for a moment. Then she swallows.</p><p>“I...we need to check for sensation.”</p><p>Francis nods. “Can you limit it to his head?” </p><p>The sorceress nods, and raises her hand, uttering an elder phrase.</p><p>The witcher’s head thrashes, crying out in pain, biting up at the hand above him as he screams…</p><p>And...calms, eyes fixed on Francis as the King of Beggar’s gently rests his fingers on the new cheek.</p><p>“There.” Francis steps forward, brushing the new skin. “Can you feel that?”</p><p>The witcher’s left eye, now with an eyelid, closes and opens again.</p><p>“A touch that doesn’t cause pain.” Francis smiles, his voice shaky. “Soon your entire body will be able to be touched again. Just like this.” He nods at Anabelle and she returns the paralysis spell, trapping the witcher inside his own body, but also freeing him of his pain.</p><p>Anabelle sniffs, and returns to her laboratory, and the other pots.</p><p>“Gaetan?” The witcher says.</p><p>Djikstra raises a finger, waving it back and forth at Zoltan. <em> Quiet </em>.</p><p>Francis nods, his jaw tense as he holds back his emotions.</p><p>“Gaetan? Joel? Schrodinger? Aiden? Dragonfly? Axel? Cedric?”</p><p>The Witcher’s eyes look from left to right. </p><p>“Gaetan?” He says, his voice broken.</p><p>Zoltan looks at Djikstra, who nods.</p><p>“Aiden.” Zoltan says. “And Gaetan. Poor bastard is calling out for cat witchers?"</p><p>Djikstra sighs. “So he's cat school.”</p><p>“And you want your family.” Francis says quietly, still stroking the new skin on the witcher’s cheek. Even though the paralysis spell prevents him from feeling it...he can still see it. Hear it.</p><p>“Home?” The witcher whispers.</p><p>Francis nods. "Soon, my friend."</p><p>His eyes look back at the violin. “Home.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Their Witchers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Keira stretches as she wakes, before reaching out with her arm only to find it resting on a cool patch of mattress next to her. </p><p>Taking a blanket and wrapping it around her shoulders, she steps out into the corridor, not needing any magic to track her partner to his current location within the Keep.</p><p>Gaetan’s bedroom door is ajar, and she opens it slowly to find herself looking at the cat school witcher curled up tightly in the middle of his bed, buried under blankets and furs against the cold. </p><p>Lighting the fireplace in the room, Keira turns to its other occupant, laid behind Gaetan in the bed, his arm draped lazily around the witcher. </p><p>One eye opens. “Hey.”</p><p>“Hey.” Keira whispers back, before sitting on the edge of the bed and reaching for Lambert’s hand. </p><p>“Didn't want him to wake up alone.” Lambert sighs. “Not after last night.”</p><p>They are quiet for a moment.</p><p>“Lambert...”</p><p>“Don’t be sorry.” Lambert says, eyes fixed on the back of Gaetan's head. “You asked me, and I said yes. And it <em> was </em> good to see Aiden. See him playing like that. Even if it wasn’t real. And seeing Gaetan. Last night, I saw the Gaetan I remember. Just playing, carefree. Making sure everyone was happy around him.”</p><p>“Gaetan still <em> is </em> that boy.” Keira says. “And the illusion came from memories, your’s and Gaetan’s. It was as real as those memories are.”</p><p>Lambert nods, and pulls Gaetan closer as the cat witcher mumbles incomprehensibly for a moment.</p><p>"I was thinking about what you said. About what happened in the hot springs. With Letho." Lambert sighs. </p><p>“The kiss?”</p><p>Lambert nods. </p><p>“When Aiden died, I thought I’d never love again, you know. Losing him hurt a lot. And, when I felt myself falling in love with you, that was my first thought. Would I outlive you? Or would you outlive me? Would it end in pain, one way or another. And that pain...could I survive it again?"</p><p>Keira squeezes his hand. </p><p>“But, then I remembered <em> meeting </em>Aiden. Fighting the ogre with him. I remembered waking up in his arms, and falling asleep in them.” He smiles. “I remembered the time I tried to drink a Skelligan sea captain under the table and Aiden spent the rest of the night holding my head over a privy.”</p><p>Keira chuckles.</p><p>“And little things. Conversation. Jokes. Holding hands as we walked along a road, just being together.” Lambert blinks back tears. “And...and it hurt to lose him. But I don't just have that hurt, I've got all the joy he gave me before as well. Those memories. And I’d rather have those memories than not have the pain. Does that make sense?"</p><p>Keira nods.</p><p>“You helped me. You helped me not to be afraid of love again. Because you gave me those memories with you. That first morning here in Kaer Morhen, waking up in <em> your </em> arms. Riding side by side, all our weird conversations on the road."</p><p>"Um... interesting discussions about biological science."</p><p>"Of course. My mistake." He grins at her. </p><p>Keira lifts his hand and kisses it, and says nothing when she sees Gaetan’s eyes open, blinking back tears. </p><p>“Thank you.” Lambert says. “I wouldn’t love again if it wasn’t for you.”</p><p>“It was because of you.” Keira says. “I was just your muse.”</p><p>“Muses are for bards.” Lambert chuckles. “You’re...I’ll get back to you.”</p><p>“Oh <em> very </em> romantic" Keira teases as she squeezes his hand, before winking at Gaetan.</p><p>The younger witcher is clearly thoughtful as he looks ahead. </p><p>Keira knows that Lambert knows that Gaetan is awake and listening to him.</p><p>“We shouldn't be afraid of loving again.” The Wolf says. “I know losing someone hurts, and opening yourself up to being hurt like that again is terrifying. But it's worse to be alone when you don’t want to be. And you will always have that time with them. Those memories are stronger given time.”</p><p>He kisses the side of Gaetan’s head, and rests back on the pillow, smiling when Keira lays down on Gaetan’s other side, still holding Lambert’s hand. </p><p>Movement, and Lambert and Keira open their eyes to find the space between them empty.</p><p>They look at eachother, and smile.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Eskel wakes slowly, flinching slightly at the weight against his legs, and looking down before smiling. </p><p>He looks up, and gently pokes the chest of the man he is laid against. </p><p>“Mmm.” Letho wakes. “What?” </p><p>“Shhh.” Eskel waits for Letho to open his eyes before putting his fingers to his lips, and then uses the same finger to point down. </p><p>At the witcher laid curled up asleep across their feet, on top of the blanket. </p><p>Chuckling under his breath, Letho slowly sits up, taking hold of Gaetan and gently pulling him up to lay on his stomach against the viper’s chest, his head tucked protectively under Letho’s chin as the larger witcher lays back down.</p><p>Eskel picks up the blankets and furs, arranging them over the trio before laying down again, his head on Letho’s shoulder, and his hand running up and down Gaetan’s back under the blanket. </p><p>Gaetan’s eyes open, meet Eskel, and see a smiling face looking back at him as, at the same time, Eskel’s hand slides up to the side of Gaetan’s face. The scarred witcher leans in, waiting for Gaetan’s small nod before kissing him on the side of the mouth. </p><p>After a moment, Eskel leans back, and Letho hums, encouraging Gaetan to look up so that the viper can kiss him in turn. </p><p>“Your ours tonight.” Letho says. “We’ll look after you.”</p><p>They both rub the cat’s back while enjoying the purring sound that it causes. Letho can feel the vibrating sensation against his torso, and another sensation as Gaetan, perhaps without even thinking about it, starts to knead gently against Letho’s chest with one hand, the other reaching up to knead at Eskel’s shoulder.</p><p>To Letho, Gaetan’s purr and Eskel’s slow breathing fall into harmony, a perfect sound as he holds both his witcher’s close, Eskel’s head against his shoulder, and Gaetan’s under his chin.</p><p>And suddenly, it feels as if everything in the viper's life has fallen into place.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>At the sound of the voice, Letho looks down, and finds a pair of bright amber eyes looking back at him from the smiling face of the cat.</p><p><em> There you are. </em> Letho thinks as he smiles back before pressing his face into Gaetan's scalp, breathing in his scent before turning his face to the side, and doing the same in Eskel's hair, breathing in.</p><p><em> His </em> Witchers <em> . </em></p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Never saw myself as a nurse maid.” Dijkstra chuckles as he stirs some more soup onto the spoon, leaning forward and tipping it into the witcher’s mouth. “But the way I see it, you witchers like contracts. So if I help you now, I’ve got a Cat Witcher to help <em> me </em>later.”</p><p>He winks, and picks up another spoonful. “I know you could probably feed yourself, but means taking this spell off of you. No point torturing yourself to eat, yeah?”</p><p>The witcher’s single eyelid closes, the other eye rolling up at the same time before looking forward as its neighbour opens again. </p><p>“Not too much salt?” He leans back. “Francis says it's his mother’s recipe.”</p><p>The witcher is sitting up slightly on the ‘bed’ holding him safe in the air, his eyes fixed straight ahead. </p><p>Dijkstra feeds him more of the soup.</p><p>The spymaster hears footsteps, and lets out a breath as he looks ahead at the entrance. </p><p>“Another hour, and Anabelle can apply the next batch.” Francis says. “And then another tomorrow.” </p><p>“Your witch is going to make him wait <em> that </em> long?” Dijkstra can’t help the anger in his voice. “Look at him.”</p><p>“She is her <em> own </em> witch.” Anabelle says as she enters behind Francis. “And if I go too fast, I risk his body treating the new skin like an infection.” She crosses his arms. “I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you what a disaster <em> that </em> would be?”</p><p>Dijkstra nods, the frustration clear on his face as he puts the spoon in the now empty bowl and rests it to one side, picking up a cup of water and letting the witcher take a few sips.</p><p>“Water.” The witcher swallows, humming slightly.</p><p>“Well you’re sounding lucid, my friend.” Francis says. “Can you tell me your name, maybe?”</p><p>“Pet.” The creature snarls. “So beautiful, Pet. Dance for me.”</p><p>Francis tenses, and Dijkstra knows that he is as good as hearing the words in Whoreson Junior’s pathetic whine. Picturing the witcher twist against the constant pain of infection and wounds, as Whoreson watches and laughs. </p><p>It’s the reason why they have advised Dudu to change his form before contacting either of them. If they see Whoreson's face right now, they might both accidentally kill the doppler in a fit of rage.</p><p>“Beautiful. Pain.”</p><p>“Yeah. Well, do you know what I find beautiful.” Dijkstra lets the witcher have another sip of the water. “Baths. Warm water healing aches and pains, steam carrying your worries away.”</p><p>Francis smiles. “Wine being kept topped up by a beautiful servant girl. Naked of course.” </p><p>Anabelle tuts, rolling her eyes as she continues to examine the new skin around the witcher’s face. </p><p>“It’s taken well. That’s good.”</p><p>“<em> I </em> think Francis, that you’re friend would prefer a man topping up his wine.” Dijkstra says, tapping the skin on the witcher’s forehead. “Just a hunch. You say the name Gaetan a lot.” </p><p>Francis nods. “You have men on your staff.”</p><p>“I do indeed.” Dijkstra looks up at the violin illusion, still playing quietly above them. </p><p>The witcher is watching it too, as he always seems to when his thoughts turn to his fellow cat.</p><p>“Pet wasn’t always your name.” Dijkstra says. “What was your name when you were with the cat school?” </p><p>"Cat school." The witcher’s eyes dart from side to side, looking around the room, before focusing on Dijkstra and hissing. “Tell me, who founded your school? The Aen Seidhe? No, no stop. Stop.” He squeezes his single eye shut, the other roving from side to side as his teeth grit and then he screams. “Tell me. Pain. So beautiful, Pet. Stop”</p><p>Anabelle steps forward, a pacifying spell ready before Dijkstra raises a hand, stopping her.</p><p>“Yesterday, you took away the paralysis on just his head?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>He points. “The hands. Just the hands.”</p><p>Anabelle nods, a pained look switching from the witcher’s emotional anguish to the hands, one of the few parts of the poor man’s body to be relatively intact, if you ignore the half grown finger nails. </p><p>The hands suddenly twitch, fingers closing and opening as the witcher continues to scream, and Dijkstra picks up the one closest to him. Francis takes his lead with the other, holding them and lifting them to the witcher’s eyesight.</p><p>The witcher is still hyperventilating, but he stops screaming, closed eye opening as he sees his hands being held. <em> Feels </em>them being held.</p><p>And there’s no pain.</p><p>“You’re not there.” Dijkstra says firmly, squeezing the hand. “Those bastard’s are both gone. You’re just in <em> this </em>room, with us. Just in this room. Listen to that violin."</p><p>The Witcher's eyes focus on the illusion, while Dijkstra runs a thumb across his knuckles.</p><p>"Gaetan."</p><p>"Yeah. Gaetan.” Dijkstra nods. “So tell me about your friend. What’s Gaetan’s favourite food?”</p><p>The witcher takes a deep breath in and out.</p><p>“What’s Gaetan’s favourite food?” Dijkstra repeats, keeping his voice soft. </p><p>“Chi...chicken.”</p><p>“Chicken.” Francis nods. “And you’re favourite food?”</p><p>“Food.” The witcher wispers. “Pork.”</p><p>Francis smiles.</p><p>“And what do you call each other?” Dijkstra asks. “You and Gaetan.”</p><p>“Mad man. Tiger.”</p><p>“Mad man and Tiger." Dijkstra chuckles. “And when you're together, what do other people call you? Gaetan and…”</p><p>“Kiyan.”</p><p>Anabelle holds her hands against her mouth.</p><p>“Kiyan.” Francis nods. “So that’s your name?”</p><p>The witcher looks at him. “Pet.”</p><p>“But Kiyan was your name before?” Anabelle says. “When you were a witcher?”</p><p>Francis’s expression falls, bottom lip curling slightly before he moves Kiyan’s hand to his opposite grip, leaving his other hand free to reach up to the witcher’s cheek and dry new tears from a new eye.</p><p>“Please.” Kiyan says.</p><p>“While I hate to correct a lady.” Francis says. “I would say that you are <em> still </em> a witcher.”</p><p>Anabelle smiles, nodding. </p><p>“Please.” The Witcher’s eye closes again, the other one rolling into his head as his breathing slows.</p><p>Anabelle waits a moment, then reaches for a heavy cloth rested beside the ‘bed’, carefully laying it over Kiyan’s eyes.</p><p>“I'll give him his other eye back next.” Anabella says. “Let him finally close them properly.”</p><p>"No." Francis says. “Give him his arms first. Let him have the option to feed and wash himself, if he wants it.”</p><p>Anabelle nods, shutting down the illusions before returning to her laboratory.</p><p>Francis lowers the hand that he is holding, smiles at Dijkstra, and then takes his own leave.</p><p>Alone now but for the sleeping Kiyan, Dijkstra sits back in his chair and covers his face with his hands.</p><p>It is Bart all over again. Finding the frightened soul under the layers of abuse. </p><p>In the troll’s case it had been brainwashing. A lifetime of being treated like he was an animal and nothing more. They hadn’t even bothered to teach him common beyond a few words. </p><p>Watch. Guard. Bad Troll. </p><p>
  <em> Punishment. </em>
</p><p>But Dijkstra has never been one to turn down a challenge, and Bart is better now. Yes he still has a wit dimmer than dusk, and he probably always will...Dijkstra chuckles...But Bart is better.</p><p>Dijkstra takes his hands away from his face, focusing again on the sleeping witcher. </p><p>Yes, he has done this before. And with Francis and Anabelle as his aids, and Melitelle as his fucking witness, he is going to do it again.</p><p>“Hello Kiyan.” He says quietly, lifting the witcher’s hand again. “I’m Sigi.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Beautiful</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sharing the bed with a wolf, Letho has learned to put up with some quirks. Like the way that Eskel likes to sleep on</span>
  <em>
    <span> him </span>
  </em>
  <span>instead of the mattress, using Letho’s shoulder as a pillow, with his arm and leg draped over the viper. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In fairness though, Letho likes to coil around the smaller witcher in turn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another is the way that a deep kiss will often lead to Eskel’s tongue exploring his mouth leisurely, tasting and feeling and checking. Eskel knows the taste and feel of Letho’s mouth as well as his own now, and it is never the wolf who breaks these kisses. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re warmer today?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Been sat by the fire all afternoon.” Letho says, reassuring his lover. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmmm.” Eskel nods, feeling Letho’s forehead with his hand while Letho’s own strokes through his hair, the viper’s other hand scritching at Gaetan’s scalp while the cat purrs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letho often finds himself wondering how he ever managed to fall asleep without being lulled to it by a gentle purr, soft hands kneading at his skin as Gaetan slowly relaxes each evening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then there’s the cat’s more...caring instincts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The instinct that has him sitting up as soon as Eskel lays down, reaching out to gently fiddle with Eskel’s hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Eskel fidgets slightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re getting groomed.” Letho says, quietly. “Accept your fate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wolf chuckles, sitting up so that Gaetan’s wandering hands can reach the back of his head, combing through hair with his fingers and occasionally stroking along a strand with his nail.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letho briefly regrets that the trials left him bald.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He waits until Gaetan has sat back, and then wraps an arm around the cat’s waist, pulling him across so that he is sat astride Letho’s thighs on the blanket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His sleeping shirt falls off one shoulder, and Letho’s finger idly traces around the Katakan bite there while making eye contact, responding to Gaetan’s slow blink with one of his own while Eskel, smiling, moves up to sit beside them on the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look at that.” Letho strokes around the scar again. “Stronger than a Katakan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan looks down at the scar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And stronger than an alghoul.” Letho kisses his forehead. “Stronger than a leshen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letho’s hand traces down Gaetan’s body, pulling the shirt up to expose the smaller witcher’s naked thigh and gently kneading the skin there, humming when Gaetan responds with a gasp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letho kisses him again before leaning back, patiently waiting for Gaetan’s response to the silent question. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Swallowing, the witcher looks from Letho to Eskel, who cups the back of his head protectively. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright if the answer is no, Gaetan.” Eskel says, gently. “No pressure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letho nods his agreement, his smile widening when Gaetan’s arm wraps around his shoulder, kissing him back as Letho slowly takes hold of the edges of the cat’s shirt, breaking away from the kiss so that he can pull it over Gaetan’s head and drop it off the edge of the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leaning against the pillows, Eskel reaches out to take Gaetan when Letho maneuvers him over. The wolf wraps his arms protectively around the cat’s shoulders as he lays beside Eskel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve got you.” He whispers, one hand reaching up to brush down Gaetan’s face as Letho kneels over the cat, one knee either side of the witchers. He leans forward, kissing Gaetan’s chin and then the scar on his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He moves down Gaetan’s body, stopping at the alghoul scar and kissing along it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eskel takes a deep breath as he rests his face against the side of Gaetan’s head, taking in his scent. His arms return to encircling the cat’s chest, holding him close. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re beautiful.” He whispers, kissing Gaetan’s temple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letho continues to explore, nails gently scratching down Gaetan’s chest as he kisses his hip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Strong." The viper kisses another scar. "Beautiful.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan’s eyes water as he stares at the ceiling, his breathing hitched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shhh.” Eskel cups his face. “Letho, hold up a second.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The viper moves back up to Gaetan’s face, his hand resting on the witcher’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want us to stop?” Eskel asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan shakes his head, and reaches up to cup Letho’s cheek while his other hand rests on the side of Eskel’s head. “Just…”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Beautiful</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dragonfly used to call him that. And the others called him strong. Called him brave. They would hold him and care for him and let him sleep in their arms and nothing about the path mattered. The humans could spit and shout and throw stones all they wanted. Gaetan wasn’t any of the things they said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was a witcher of Dyn Marv.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then the humans were all he had had for so long. And Gaetan wasn’t beautiful. He wasn’t strong. He wasn’t brave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was a mutant. A freak. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shhh.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you say it again?” Gaetan whispers, eyes wide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beautiful.” Eskel whispers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beautiful.” Letho kisses Gaetan’s palm, before leaning forward to kiss Eskel. He then slowly, so slowly, travels down the cat’s body again, one hand stroking around each area that he studies and kisses, repeating the word over and over in his quiet drawl. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beautiful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan floats, eyes following Letho’s journey down his body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reaching the cat’s hips, the larger witcher leans over the edge of the bed, pulling out a box from under it and taking a bottle of oil. He puts a liberal amount onto his hand, and looks up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, Cat?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan nods and Eskel sits up slightly, eyes fixed on his face, a hand rested on his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The younger witcher gasps, a slight tremble running through his body as Letho’s finger enters him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve got you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan makes a sound at the back of his throat, and uses the arm wrapped around Eskel’s shoulder to pull him down, his lips missing the wolf’s mouth to kiss the scarred side of the jaw instead. Then Gaetan gasps again as Letho’s finger brushes against him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve got you.” Eskel repeats, his hand tracing down the cat’s body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan’s eyes squeeze shut, his breathing slow but loud through his mouth as Letho’s fingers, two now, move inside him, warm from the oil and tender, tapping at him inside, a sensation that Gaetan can feel in every inch of him, building and building while Eskel’s hand traces up and down his stomach and chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He feels Letho’s fingers leave him, and almost cries out at the void they leave behind. But then the sensation changes, and Gaetan is slowly filled in a way that pushes the breath out of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letho places his hands either side of the witcher, holding himself over Gaetan as he slowly thrusts up and down. At the same time, Eskel’s mouth meets the cat’s neck, kissing and sucking there, one hand still stroking lazily around Gaetan's torso and the cat loses all sense of time. This is the world now, feeling every inch of his body come alive and react. Building and building.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His lips not leaving the Witcher's neck, Eskel reaches down to take hold of Gaetan, slowly moving up and down, and it isn't long after that that the cat starts to tremble, gasping through wave upon wave that washes over him, filling him and emptying him all at the same time, making him clench around Letho as the Witcher continues to thrust. As Eskel continues to move his hand and kiss his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan looks up, and his eyes meet Letho's own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One more thrust, and then a new sensation meets all the others, filling Gaetan with warmth as Letho moans and then relaxes over him, covering Gaetan like a blanket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or a shield.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letho lays like that for a long moment, then he hums, sitting up and kissing Gaetan deeply before cupping the side of Eskel’s face and kissing the wolf in turn. He smiles around the kiss, letting Eskel’s tongue explore his mouth while the punch drunk Gaetan watches from below them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan wraps his arms around Eskel as the wolf lays back down, pressing his face into the witcher’s shoulder while Eskel’s hand strokes up and down his back, making him purr. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letho moves down Eskel’s body, his mouth taking the witcher. After watching Gaetan and Letho together, Eskel doesn’t need much more encouragement than that. He is soon gone, Gaetan’s arms the only thing that stop him from arching off of the bed as Letho encourages him through the climax.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Afterwards, they hold each other while Letho cleans up and covers them with the blankets, before moving to lay behind Gaetan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cat mumbles in his half sleep, turning to face Letho, hands that had been kneading Eskel's chest now against the viper, fingers gently tensing and releasing against the area over Letho's heart. He purrs, eyes slowly closing, opening, and closing again as he mentally drifts in the moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking over Gaetan’s head, Eskel smiles, and Letho smiles back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It doesn’t take long for Gaetan’s eyes to close completely, and Letho feels the cat relax beneath his arm, his forehead resting against the viper’s chest the way he had once rested against Kiyan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he’s still smiling, even as he sleeps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And suddenly, with no warning at all, Letho shatters. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rests a hand on Gaetan’s cheek, and doesn’t realise that there are tears on his face until Eskel moves, carefully moving around the bed to drape himself over his lover.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Letho.” He whispers, kissing Letho’s temple before resting his forehead against it. “It’s okay. I’m here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letho can remember crying. Sat alone in the attic of an abandoned mansion’s barn in Velen, hiding from bounty hunters and well aware of feeling like the crashed remains of his world and brothers were laying in a pile at his feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No one had held him then. And he had already dried the tears on the back of his hand by the time Geralt had arrived to disarm his traps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now Eskel holds him as the giant Witcher allows himself to feel...no not small...but vulnerable. He's suddenly overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with happiness but also the weight of responsibility, the weight of the future. Of finally having people to care for again, to care about him again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan, a soul who loves family and music. Who used to share himself so freely, and is now relearning how to trust the world with his heart again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eskel, the kind soul wiping his tears. The man who had rejected Letho at first, but then gave him the second chance that he earned protecting Kaer Morhen. Learned to love him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taught Letho how to love him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gave him a family.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ciri, a daughter figure he had never even realised he wanted. Someone to help train and prepare for the path ahead of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Keira, a wise older sister who has every right to hate Letho for what he did to her king, but chooses not to. Because she understands desperation, and how easily one can be manipulated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lambert, a brother in arms who had saved his life fighting the Wild Hunt, shortly before Letho had saved him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he loves them all so strongly that it almost feels like destiny. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shhhh.” Eskel whispers into his ear as Letho turns his face into the pillow, letting his guard down. Letting Eskel protect him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look at him.” The wolf strokes Letho’s arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gaetan fidgets slightly in his sleep, getting more comfortable on the mattress.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s safe.” Eskel whispers. “He’s warm. He’s happy, and he knows we love him. He is all the things you promised him that night you two met.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Letho nods, and pulls Gaetan tighter against his chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blue light fills the room and Ciri hits the floor hard, swearing under her breath before looking around. Dammit, this isn't her room it's Eskel’s...oh…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Covered in blankets and furs, the witchers are wrapped around each other in Eskel’s bed, all fast asleep. And yes that’s Gaetan sleeping with Letho and Eskel, which means that Ciri owes Lambert four crowns. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turns to tiptoe out of the room, but then stops, a mischievous smile on her face as she slowly, silently draws her sword, and reaches out ready to tap Letho’s shoulder...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Welcome home, Princess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ciri chuckles, returns the sword to its sheath and nodding a salute before leaving the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes closing again, Letho smiles, and allows himself to slip into a deep sleep.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Doppler's Lament</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dijkstra leans against the wall, arms folded, leg slightly lifted off the ground to take the weight off of his old injury as he watches Francis carefully tuck another blanket around the witcher laying in the bed. </p><p>The spymaster shakes his head. <em> How long has it been since you slept in a proper bed, you poor sod? </em></p><p>“There.” Francis whispers, smiling as he runs a hand through the long black hair that Kiyan now has, smoothing it back from his eyes. </p><p>The Witcher doesn't react, still numb and exhausted, and Dijkstra has to look away for a moment. </p><p>Weeks of pain and mind numbing potions while they researched how to help him, found Anabelle. Then days of treatment, some of it uncomfortable, and much of it painful as new skin was tested and more internal wounds found and cured.</p><p>After the third day of that Kiyan stopped speaking to them, opting instead to stare straight ahead without really seeing, and Dijkstra’s seen enough battle weary veterans to recognise the signs of a fall into deep depression.</p><p>In Kiyan's mind, the methods being used to help him were just another form of torture.</p><p>That was when Dijkstra and Francis started holding Kiyan’s hands during each treatment, and even when the Witcher’s strong grip hurt like hell they kept holding on. </p><p>He can still feel the slight throb in his crushed fingers, but they will heal. And that small discomfort is nothing in comparison. </p><p>The last application of Kiyan’s physical treatment was that morning, and the paralysis spell was removed not an hour ago. Francis is still giving the witcher potions to keep him lethargic, they’re not crazy enough to let him regain his full strength while still somewhat disconnected from reality, but their patient can move freely now, can <em> feel </em> everything now, without pain. </p><p>Dijkstra hopes that the agony in Kiyan's life is over now. Forever, if the spymaster gets any say in it. </p><p>He can see the Witcher's hands moving under the blanket, feeling the soft material of the sleeping clothes he has been given. Kiyan lets out a slow breath as the warmth of the blankets settles in over him, opening his amber eyes at the gentle touch of the hand on his forehead.</p><p>After so long with only painful sensations, the sudden warmth and gentleness all over must be...Dijkstra can’t even <em> try </em> to imagine it.</p><p>“Comfortable?” Francis asks.</p><p>Kiyan responds by turning onto his side, facing Francis, and curling up. A soft vibration starts emanating from his throat.</p><p>“Any pain?”</p><p>Kiyan blinks slowly, then turns his face down, one hand curling up under the pillow to hug it against his head as he takes another deep breath and relaxes. </p><p>“Yes. You sleep, my friend. Your real healing can begin now.” He runs a hand up and down Kiyan’s arm. “We’ll check on you later. And you can join us for dinner tonight, if you feel up to it. Our friend Tellico will be there. Do you remember him? He’s the one that rescued you.”</p><p>Dijkstra smiles, nodding when Francis looks at him out of the corner of his eye, and returns the fond grin. </p><p>The vibration sound becomes soft breathing as the witcher slips into a deep sleep, unconsciously pulling the blankets tighter around himself. </p><p><em> Cold. </em> Dijkstra shakes his head. <em> Of course you were fucking cold. No clothes or skin. Must have been freezing on top of everything else.  </em></p><p>“Do you think we should leave the illusion playing?” Francis whispers, pointing at the violin. </p><p>“Yeah.” Dijkstra nods. “Might help his dreams.”</p><p>“Sleep well, my friend.” Francis says, running his hand through Kiyan’s hair one more time before following Dijkstra downstairs to Anabelle’s lab. The sorceress is not present, having left to get some rest at Francis's estate, but the room isn’t empty.</p><p>Zoltan is sat on a chair by the now dead fire.</p><p>“Dudu’s at the gate.”</p><p>Francis nods. “Zoltan, would you mind…” He points at the ceiling.</p><p>“Aye, I’ll witcher sit.”</p><p>Dijkstra acknowledges the dwarf with a nod before following Francis out into the street, and onwards again to the gate.</p><p>“What the fuck you doing here, Cyprian?" He snarls.</p><p>“Now, Sigi, is that anyway to greet an old friend?” Flanked by two bodyguards, the one eyed crime boss Whoreson Junior pats Dijkstra fondly on the shoulder. “How's my little gift to yous." He looks at Francis. "Still alive?”</p><p>“He's resting.” Francis’s voice is tight, one eye looking at the bodyguards. </p><p>Keep up the act.</p><p>“Ah, and there was my men hoping to get to play with him again.” Whoreson looks over his shoulder at the bodyguards. “Damn wanker killed three of them before we got it in a cage. They’ve missed giving him rewards for that.” Whoreson giggles, and the bodyguards join in.</p><p>There is anger in their eyes. And something else, something more primal, something that makes Francis feel cold.</p><p>“Scram, you two.” Whoreson snaps. “Old Bedlam and me’ve got bidness to discuss.”</p><p>“Thought you were legit now?” Dijkstra says.</p><p>“It’s legit bidness.”</p><p>The bodyguards nod, and step back out of the grove.</p><p>“Thanks for meeting me at the gate.” Whoreson says, his voice softer now. “Didn’t want to risk them knowing where their old pet was.”</p><p>“Kiyan.” Francis says.</p><p>“Kiyan?” Dudu nods, checking that no one is watching before slowly shrinking down to his more familiar halfling form. “Did wonder if he had a name. Has he told you anything else?”</p><p>“His favourite food is pork.” Dijkstra chuckles. “Oh, and he has a...<em> friend, </em> name of Gaetan.”</p><p>Dudu tenses slightly, sucking the air through his teeth. "Gaetan."</p><p>“Dudu?” Francis reaches for his shoulder.</p><p>“A memory.” Dudu looks down, a tear coming to his single eye. “It wasn’t me, I know it wasn’t me, but sometimes it’s hard to separate. I still feel guilty even...” He takes a breath. “Gaetan. The pet...Kiyan...he would say that name a lot. In his sleep. So Whoreson used it against him."</p><p>"Gods…" Francis doesn't want to hear what the Doppler has to say. But he listens.</p><p>"He told him that Gaetan had been tortured and killed in Deireadh. Held up a blood stained medallion.”</p><p>Dijkstra shakes his head.</p><p>“It was a lie. He didn’t know who this Gaetan was. The medallion had come from some witcher turned merchant who’d had his head left on the pavement near Hierarch Square. But the lie worked. Kiyan screamed for days. Cried. Scratched at himself.” Dudu looks down.</p><p>“So.” Dijkstra puts a hand to his chin. “He thinks Gaetan is dead.”</p><p>“Isn’t he?” Dudu looks up. “Cat school was wiped out, was what I heard.”</p><p>“Not all of them.” Francis sighs. “Gaetan is alive, and at Kaer Morhen.”</p><p>“Well? Have you <em> told </em> him?”</p><p>“Not yet.” Francis shakes his head. “You said Whoreson held him for over a year, and the mage had him for months before that. So he was captured before the destruction of his school."</p><p>Dijkstra nods. "Telling him about Gaetan also means telling him that everyone else is dead."</p><p>"And he’s not strong enough for that. Not yet.”</p><p>Dudu nods.</p><p>“Unless, did Whoreson tell him about the Dyn Marv.” Dijkstra asks.</p><p>“It’s not a strong enough memory if he did. I only remember Gaetan. He...he <em> enjoyed </em> seeing his grief.” Dudu turns away, and they can as good as <em> see </em> the guilt weighing down on his shoulders.</p><p>“It’s Whoreson’s memory, Dudu.” Dijkstra says, quietly. “Not yours.”</p><p>The doppler nods, sniffs, and turns back around. “Can I see him?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>Zoltan greets them at the top of the stairs, grasping the doppler on each shoulder “Dudu.”</p><p>“Zoltan.” He smiles at the dwarf, but then his face softens as he sees the sleeping form in the bed in the room. “He's looking a <em>lot</em> better.”</p><p>“Anabelle’s done a good job.” Zoltan agrees. “Let him sleep.”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>“Zoltan.” Francis points down, and the four men make their way back into the lab. </p><p>“Whoreson.” Dijkstra grits his teeth. “He told Kiyan that Gaetan was murdered.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Because he could.” Dudu’s voice is hollow. “Because he wanted to watch him suffer.”</p><p>“Urgh.” Zoltan kicks the leg of the table. “Should get Yennefer to reanimate the corpse so Geralt can kill him again.”</p><p>“I imagine that service would be in high demand.” Francis sits down. </p><p>“Well, we need to tell him that Gaetan is alive, at least.” Dudu says.</p><p>“We don’t even know if he’s understanding us right now.” Dijkstra says. “He hasn’t said or responded to a word in days.”</p><p>“Wait a wee while.” Zoltan says. “See how he is at dinner, after some sleep. Poor bastard’s been through a lot.”</p><p>They both flinch as Francis slams a fist onto the table and then stands, moving to face the wall as he tries to calm himself down.</p><p>“Stiff upper lip, Francis. We’ll figure it out.” Dijkstra pats his shoulder. “Just like any information gather. Know your target. Find out what makes them tick. Know their thoughts. And find out how to get them to open up.”</p><p>“And what <em> information </em> do you want from Kiyan.” Francis snaps, harshly. </p><p>“How to help him.” Dijkstra smiles. “You said it yourself. He needs time. But what else does he need?”</p><p>“Well not having a sorceress poking and prodding him will probably help.” Zoltan says, a hand behind his head in a nervous gesture. “No...I know she meant well. But must have…”</p><p>And there is a crash from the room above him.</p><p>“Kiyan?” Dijkstra looks up, already making his way to the stairs.</p><p>“Where’s Dudu?” Zoltan asks.</p><p>Dijkstra reaches the top of the stairs first, ignoring the pain in his leg as he focuses on Kiyan. No...Kiyan has two eyes, not one.</p><p>‘The witcher’ is screaming, arms wrapped around his head as he swings it from side to side.</p><p>“Get out of my head. GET OUT!”</p><p>“Dudu, what did you…” Zoltan cries out as ‘Kiyan’ throws an aard blast, knocking all three men against the wall, Francis partly falling back down the stairs. </p><p>‘Kiyan’ stumbles backwards, a quen bubble forming, disforming, and forming again. “Stay back. Get out. NO!” He falls to his knees, throws himself at the wall and screams.</p><p>The bubble drops, and then...calm.</p><p>The light of axii forms around the head of ‘Kiyan’ and he looks up, wide eye looking into Kiyan’s two as the witcher lowers his hand, and opens his arms. </p><p>Because it isn’t ‘Kiyan’ sitting on the ground anymore. It’s one of the children from Marabella's School for Tots, shaking and crying as he looks up at Kiyan.</p><p>And then throws himself into the witcher’s arms, sobbing. </p><p>“Shh.” Kiyan sinks to the floor, holding the boy in his lap. “Just a nightmare. Just a nightmare. Shh. Shh.”</p><p>“Kiyan?” Swallowing, Dijkstra takes a step forward. “Do you understand what’s happening?”</p><p>Kiyan nods. “Doppler.”</p><p>“Yeah.” Dijkstra can’t help the stab of relief at hearing the witcher’s voice again. “His name’s Tellico, but we call him Dudu.”</p><p>Kiyan stands, the boy still held against his chest. “Why?”</p><p>“You know…” Dijkstra chuckles, shaking his head. “...I’ve got no idea.”</p><p>The witcher kisses the boy’s hair, hugging him close. “Shh.”</p><p>“Yeah, he’s hurting bad. But looks like you know what you’re doing.” Dijkstra pats the Doppler's back. “Got a feeling this isn’t the first frightened child you’ve had to deal with?”</p><p>The witcher looks at Dijkstra, and then at the violin illusion above the bed, before returning his attention to his charge.</p><p>“I wanted to help.” The child sniffs. “I wanted to...help. See what you needed.”</p><p>Dijkstra nods slowly, still patting the Doppler’s back. </p><p>“You goddamn halfwit.” He scolds. “Could have killed someone.”</p><p>And then Kiyan gives Dijkstra a glare that makes the spymaster very happy that looks can’t actually kill.</p><p>The Witcher moves over to the bed and lays the now calmer boy in it. He covers him with the blankets and tucks him in, before climbing onto the bed beside him and adopting a meditation pose as he keeps guards.</p><p>“Yeah.” Dijkstra nods, looking at the violin. “Yeah, went and made that awkward, didn’t we?”</p><p>“Sigi?” Francis steps closer.</p><p>“Gaetan isn't your friend’s lover.” Dijkstra looks back at Francis. “He's his <em> son </em>.” </p><p>And Kiyan starts to hum a gentle tune.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“What is that you're playing?”</p><p>“Nothing.” Gaetan lowers the violin as Keira sits beside him. </p><p>“Well it’s clearly a favourite. You’ve been practicing it all evening.”</p><p>“Sorry.”</p><p>“No. Don’t apologise.” Keira smiles. “It’s beautiful”</p><p>“It’s...it’s a lullaby.” Gaetan looks at his lap. “After the grass trial...well...I had nightmares a lot. I wasn’t even ten years old dealing with that crap, and the cat mutations messed up my emotions, you know?"</p><p>Keira nods, quietly resting a hand between his shoulder blades.</p><p>“So, Kiyan would sing this to me, to help keep me calm.”</p><p>He looks at Keira, then slowly lifts the violin, playing some more of the gentle tune while she listens, her hand still on his back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Steel for Humans</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Francis Bedlam does not consider himself to be a violent man. So many conflicts are the result of misunderstanding. And misunderstandings are solved by communication. </p><p>Calm communication. Perhaps an exchange of terms. Agreements. A shaking of hands over a contract. </p><p>Yes, Francis Bedlam is not a violent man. </p><p> </p><p>He is going to kill Dudu Biberveldt. </p><p> </p><p>After cutting out the stupid doppler’s loose tongue. </p><p> </p><p>The conference room of Vivaldi’s bank is warm, a fire roaring in the corner that Dudu is watching with faked interest in hope of avoiding further conversation with the clearly agitated King of Beggars. </p><p>“Did you by chance tell anyone <em> else </em> about Kiyan?”</p><p>“Just Vimme.” Dudu sucks air through the teeth of his halfling form. “And...Dainty. And Begonia.”</p><p>“You told Begonia?”</p><p>“Well, she is <em> technically </em> my mother. One shouldn’t keep secrets from their mother, and…”</p><p>“And why didn’t you just post a notice on Hierarch Square? Save <em> Begonia </em> the effort of telling <em> everyone?</em>”</p><p>“She hasn’t told a soul.”</p><p>Silence. </p><p>“She’s told her Tuesday gwent game.” They both say together. </p><p>The door to the conference room opens, and a dwarf enters. </p><p>“Gentleman, Gentleman. Apologies for keeping yeh waiting.” Vimme Vivaldi widens his arms, before stepping to the side to welcome his companion into the room, an elderly human woman dressed in a simple but beautiful blue dress. </p><p>“Countess Mignole, Francis Bedlam, the King of Beggars.”</p><p>“Your highness.” Mignole says, smiling as she gives him a small bow. </p><p>“And Francis, Countess Mignole, collector of Vedyminaica.”</p><p>Francis looks at Dudu, who briefly considers <em> actually </em> turning into a mouse and scurrying away.</p><p>“Well I shall leave you to your business.” Vimme claps his hands together and bows his head, before leaving the room.</p><p>“Countess Mignole.” Francis smiles. “Clearly Vimme has told you of our guest, but I am afraid he was perhaps ill informed. Kiyan has nothing that would be of interest to your collection. When he came to us, he did not even have clothes on his back.”</p><p>Mignole nods slowly, and sits down at the conference table. </p><p>“Your Witcher, Kiyan, was a <em> guest </em> of the mage Ireneus var Steingard for a while?”</p><p>“We believe so.” Francis says, caution in his tone. </p><p>“Are you aware that Steingard was executed by the witch hunters almost a year to the day?”</p><p>“I was not.”</p><p>“And that afterwards, his belongings were acquired by the Borsody Auction House? At an auction that I attended.”</p><p>Francis sits at the table. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The harpy soars through the sky, singing into the wind against its face as it dips down.</p><p>It does not see the two witchers standing at the base of the cliff, watching its flight as it soars into the cave entrance partway up the rock wall.</p><p>Ciri doesn’t realise that Gaetan isn’t still beside her until he is already halfway up the cliff wall and climbing, stopping at a ledge and hanging there by one hand, the other reaching down.</p><p>Taking a step back, Ciri jumps up and blinks, grabbing the hand and still moving as Gaetan uses both her momentum and his own strength to swing her up onto the ledge, before waiting for the witcheress to reach down and pull him up beside her. </p><p>“Need a minute?” He says.</p><p>“Do you?”</p><p>Laughing, Gaetan continues to climb, stopping at the mouth of the cave and reaching down to grab Ciri again, pulling her up into the entrance before climbing up himself. </p><p>He grimaces as he kneels there, shaking his hand back and forth to dislodge the guano now stuck to his skin while Ciri stands, looking into the cave.</p><p>“Clear?” Gaetan stands.</p><p>“You tell me.” Ciri draws her sword. “I’m not the one that can see in the dark.”</p><p>“No, you’re just the one that can take day trips to the moon.”</p><p>“Not the whole day.” Ciri smiles. “Avallac'h said there isn’t any air there.”</p><p>Gaetan returns the smile before taking the lead, his enhanced vision guiding them both through the seemingly empty cave, his own silver sword now drawn. </p><p>They both still at the sound of a cry ahead of them, Gaetan looking over his shoulder and holding a finger to his lips as they creep ahead to the middle of the cave. Here, gaps in the roof let in some sunlight, revealing a wide open grove with some plant growth. In the centre sits a tree, on which several harpies can be seen nesting.</p><p>The crumbling remains of a deer sit at the base of the tree, being gnawed upon by another harpy.</p><p>“Nest is right where Eskel said it would be.” Ciri whispers. </p><p>“Six.” Gaetan shakes his head. “No...seven. How do you want to do this?”</p><p>“I’ll take the four on the left, you can have the three on the right.”</p><p>Gaetan nods, and unhooks a bomb from his belt. “Gift from Lambert. Grapeshot.”</p><p>“You don’t want it?”</p><p>Gaetan clicks his fingers around a spark of igni, and then slips into the cave to the right while Ciri sneaks off to the left, staying crouched as she makes her way round to the base of the tree. Three of her four harpies are sitting here, grooming with their beaks.</p><p>She pulls at the grapeshot with her teeth, and throws it. </p><p>The bomb explodes at the base of the tree, setting one of the harpies alight and sending the others flying. One quickly falls to Gaetan’s aard blast, the cat’s silver blade slicing the creature’s throat before he throws up a quen. His shield is just in time to soak up most of the damage from a second harpy’s lunge attack, Gaetan rolling onto his back and kicking at the Harpy before standing and slashing. </p><p>A downward thrust from Ciri’s blade kills another harpy, and she looks over her shoulder and blinks out of the way of another, coming in behind it and removing its head. </p><p>“That’s two.”</p><p>“I’m three in.”</p><p>“And Lambert calls me the show off.” Ciri mutters under her breath as she runs at a third harpy, piercing its chest as it flies towards her.</p><p>The last, still on fire, lands on Gaetan’s back, lifting him from the ground by his sheaths, and pulling the steel sword from its hold as he falls back to the ground. </p><p>“No!”</p><p>The burning Harpy, sword in its claws, flies towards one of the slits in the roof, and Ciri moves quickly, using her powers to lift and throw a rock straight into the creature's head. </p><p>Screaming, the dazed beast flies into the wall of the cave, and the steel sword falls into the darkness below it as Ciri blinks, delivers the killing blow, and blinks back.</p><p>Dropping his silver sword, Gaetan runs forward while desperately clawing at his pouch and pulling out a potion. He drinks it quickly, throwing the bottle away and crying out as what light there is in the room overwhelms eyes that can now see in pitch black. </p><p>He peers into the darkness...there, right on the edge of a crevice. </p><p>He grabs the sword by the hilt, pulling it into his chest and holding it there as Ciri carefully climbs down beside him. </p><p>And then, suddenly, she is in Gaetan’s arms as he holds her close.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>“Um...you’re welcome.” Ciri relaxes, bringing her own arms up to return the embrace. “Is it damaged?”</p><p>Gaetan shakes his head, stepping back and studying the blade closely before holding it against his chest again.</p><p>Picking up Gaetan’s dropped silver sword, Ciri sits with both it and her own, wiping the blood from the blades before resting them on the ground beside her. </p><p>Gaetan is still studying the steel sword that he had so nearly lost. The one engraved with his nickname. </p><p>
  <em> Teigr. </em>
</p><p>Ciri finds herself studying the sword in turn, noting the runes along the blade.</p><p>“Did Geralt give you your sword?” Gaetan asks, looking up. </p><p>Ciri nods, lifting her own silver sword into her lap. “My first year on the path.”</p><p>Gaetan nods, sitting down. “I was thirteen. Just finished my last trial. And I was tiny, way to small for a sword this big. But Kiyan said I would grow into it. And I did.”</p><p>Ciri nods, smiling as Gaetan slowly reseaths the sword. </p><p>“I think he’d be proud of you.”</p><p>Gaetan looks at her. </p><p>“Look how far you’ve come.” She smiles. “You were rock bottom when Lambert and Keira found you. But you fought back. Survived. And now you have a home, a relationship.” She grins as Gaetan blushes. “And you’re good with a sword.”</p><p>“If I don’t let monsters fly off with it.” Gaetan mumbles, before chuckling. “Thanks.”</p><p>Ciri puts her own sword back in its sheath, before standing to hand Gaetan his silver blade. “What’s wrong?”</p><p>“Kiyan lost control once. Let his beast take over.”</p><p>Ciri nods, kneeling down in front of Gaetan. </p><p>“Kiyan, Aiden, Schrödinger and me. I was barely older than you. And we’d gone to trade with a merchant caravan, but Schrödinger got into a fucking fight with one of them about...I can’t even remember. And the damn whoresons tried to stab him, nearly managed. Kiyan just let go.”</p><p>“He was protecting a brother.”</p><p>“He was <em> laughing </em>. The whole time.” Gaetan shakes his head. “Still remember Aiden’s face afterwards.”</p><p>Ciri nods. “Did he regret it? Losing control?”</p><p>Gaetan nods. “Always made me promise to be better. To never do what he did...but I let him down. I lost control in Honorton.” He looks at her. “And I used <em> Teigr </em> . I used Kiyan’s gift to slaughter innocent people. And who was <em> I </em> protecting? Schrödinger wasn’t there. None of them were!”</p><p>The witcheress reaches round, tapping his armour over the pitchfork scar. </p><p>“You were protecting yourself.”</p><p>She sits back on her heels. “Did you stop loving Kiyan, after the merchants?”</p><p>Gaetan shakes his head. </p><p>“And I’m sure, that if he was alive, that he would never turn his back on you either. I saw the way he looked at you in Keira’s illusion. He loved you, Gaetan. And he’d still love you.”</p><p>Gaetan sniffs, rubbing at his eyes and nodding. </p><p>“And...and I’m sorry, for calling you a beast when we first met.”</p><p>“I don’t remember that.” Gaetan shakes his head before reaching out and gently taking Ciri’s hand in his own, lifting it up to his face so the fingers are just touching his scar. </p><p>“But I remember you helping me. Putting salve on my wounds.”</p><p>Ciri nods.</p><p>“And we make a good team.” Gaetan indicates the nest behind Ciri with a nod.</p><p>“That we do.” She says, slowly pulling her hand away and standing. “Come on, let’s get some ingredients? Then back to Kaer Morhen.”</p><p>She pulls out a dagger, and turns towards the Harpy nest. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>When Bart had first come to Novigrad, Dijkstra had often found himself reading to the troll. It was practical, he needed to calm the insecure creature, and he needed to familiarise him with common language. </p><p>A calm voice reading to Bart seemed the perfect solution to both problems. </p><p>The fact that he <em> still </em> reads to the bloody troll sometimes is simply because Bart likes routine and that’s part of his routine. And that’s it and nothing more, thank you very much. </p><p>And reading to Kiyan? Well the room is too quiet if he doesn’t. </p><p>“They entered his hut and began to search.” He reads. “First they tore through his bed. Dried twigs covered the sheet - that was the first proof, for werewolves return at dawn after a night of hunting, their bare feet covered in the forest's droppings.” He turns to the witcher laid on his side in the bed, eyes fixed on the book in Dijkstra’s lap. “Ever fought a werewolf?”</p><p>Kiyan nods.</p><p>“Bad memories?”</p><p>Kiyan shakes his head.</p><p>“Contract like any other.” He nods, and turns back to the book. “The werewolf surely dressed himself in it when transforming with the setting sun, and shed it again when he turned to man the next day.”</p><p>Kiyan sits up in the bed as, from the room below, they hear footsteps. </p><p>“Must be Francis.” Dijkstra puts the book to one side and stands, positioning himself between the witcher and the stairs.</p><p>Francis enters the attic room, carrying…</p><p>Kiyan gasps, recognising the decorated braiding of the sword’s hilt instantly. Recognising the runes when Francis pulls the steel sword from its sheath. Recognising the way the light hits the metal.</p><p>Remembering the day that his mentor, Gezras, had given him the blade. </p><p>He as good as falls from the bed, rushing at Francis and pulling the blade from his hands, studying it, feeling its weight again. His. <em> His </em>. </p><p><em> His </em>.</p><p>And he burst into tears as he collapses to his knees.</p><p>“Ah, Key.” Dijkstra shakes his head, sitting on the bed and reaching out to rest a hand on the Witcher’s shoulder.</p><p>“Thank you.” Kiyan chokes out, looking up at Francis. “Thank you.”</p><p>“We have your medallion too.” Francis says, quietly. “And your armour.”</p><p>“How?” Dijkstra shakes his head. </p><p>“I’ll explain later.” Francis smiles, enjoying Kiyan’s happiness as the witcher sobs and continues to study the beloved sword. </p><p>“I’m glad we could find it. I know how important a steel blade is in your school.” He looks at Djikstra. “Gifted by their mentors.”</p><p>The witcher’s posture collapses, and he looks down.</p><p>“Kiyan?”</p><p>“School.” Kiyan shakes his head, and pushes the blade away. “Dead. Destroyed.”</p><p>Francis closes his eyes.</p><p>“Yeah.” Dijkstra nods, a half smile on his face when Kiyan looks at him. “Yeah, Dyn Marv was destroyed.”</p><p>“Dead.” Kiyan nods, clutching his hands together and bringing them to his forehead. </p><p>“But not all of them.” Dijkstra says, nodding when Francis looks at him. </p><p>When Kiyan looks at him. </p><p>“Key.” Dijkstra takes a breath. “Your boy. Gaetan. Was he the only cat with that name?”</p><p>“Gaetan.” Kiyan looks down. “Tortured. Executed.”</p><p>“Kiyan.” Dijkstra says, sternly. “Was he the only cat witcher with that name?”</p><p>Kiyan nods.</p><p>“Then, my friend.” Francis steps forward. “He is alive.”</p><p>And Kiyan looks at him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Face in the Mirror</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gaetan watches the fire burn, hands rested in his lap.</p><p>“I remember Eskel telling you to stay out of the kitchen.” Letho says dryly.</p><p>“Relax, I’m not cooking.” Gaetan gives him a half smile, and shrugs. “Figured no one would look for me in here.”</p><p>“Nah.” Letho shakes his head and enters the kitchen. “If you wanted to hide, you’d climb up into one of those old towers.”</p><p>“I guess.” Gaetan looks back at the fire, and sighs as Letho sits next to him.</p><p>“Need me to talk, or listen?”</p><p>“I don’t know yet.”</p><p>Letho nods silently, his hand moving to rest on the back of Gaetan’s own.</p><p>Gaetan turns to look at him. </p><p>“Have you thought about what you’re going to do in the spring?”</p><p>“Stay here.” Letho nods, hands moving to rest on his lap as he looks down at them. “First place in a long time I’ve been able to take a proper breath. Ain’t ready to give that up yet. I’ll keep the place maintained. Feed the animals, harvest the crops. Maybe do a contract in Kaedwen to stay in the game. And then be here with a warm fire when everyone comes back for winter.”</p><p>Gaetan chuckles. “Letho of Gulet. Housewife.”</p><p>“Yeah.” Letho smiles. “Esk is thinking of heading to Skellige. Lambert to Toussaint. Ciri’s been talking about going south of the Yaruga.”</p><p>Gaetan nods. “That leaves Valen for me.”</p><p>“Valen?” Letho turns his body to face Gaetan. “After what that place did to you?”</p><p>“Keep thinking that if I can save enough people...enough children...then maybe…” He closes his eyes, head tilting down. “...maybe I can balance out what I took away. Maybe it’s a selfish reason but...but I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror again.”</p><p>Letho hums, bringing one foot up onto the bench as he bends his knee.</p><p>He notices the slight tremble in Gaetan’s voice. The way the cat swallows back emotion. </p><p>“You scared?”</p><p>“Of screwing up like I did before.” Gaetan nods.</p><p>“You didn’t screw up.” Letho says, moving to crouch in front of him.</p><p>“A good witcher can survive alone on the path.”</p><p>“And where are all the <em> good </em> witchers now?” Letho taps Gaetan’s forehead. “Dead. And if they were lucky, someone put them in the ground after. <em> You </em> survived.”</p><p>“Only because Lambert and Keira found me.”</p><p>Letho shrugs. “I’m only here now because Geralt found me.”</p><p>Gaetan looks into his eyes, and nods.  </p><p>“Princess has friends in Crow’s Perch.” Letho sits back on the bench. “Might be able to find some contracts to get you going.”</p><p>The cat nods. “I’ll speak to her.”</p><p>They sit silently for a while, the cooking fire the only sound in the room. </p><p>“I’ll miss you. And Eskel.”</p><p>“We’ll miss you too.” Letho says, kissing the top of his head. “Keep some gold aside for one of those enchanted messenger birds. We’ll always reply.”</p><p>They both turn at the same time as a messenger pigeon lands on the window sill. </p><p>“How’d you do that?” Letho says as he turns to Gaetan. </p><p>The pigeon cooes for a moment before dodging Gaetan and taking off to fly around the outside of the keep, landing on one of the upper storey windows.</p><p>“Went into Lambert and Keira’s room.” Gaetan says as he leans back from the window.</p><p>“Well." Letho says, nodding. "Hope it’s bringing them good news.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>As the messenger bird enjoys the helping of seed sprinkled across the sill, Keira sits on the bed with a letter held in her hands. </p><p>Temerian spy code. Only a handful of people on the continent can read it, and the writing is unmistakably Sigismund’s hand.</p><p>To the best of Keira’s knowledge, he has no reason to lie. Not about this.</p><p>But could the letter have been written under duress? She knows about the price on Gaetan’s head. But a captor wouldn’t have allowed Sigismund to use code? And even if they had, the spymaster could have easily written a hidden message. But there is nothing. And Keira knows how to look.</p><p>Only one thing makes sense. The letter being real…</p><p>But nevertheless, she can’t risk it. Can’t risk giving Gaetan such hope only to have it dashed. It would destroy him. </p><p>She nods, agreeing with herself. Her secret for now. Until she can investigate. </p><p>She folds the letter as, with a quick knock at the door, Lambert enters. </p><p>“You okay?”</p><p>“Fine.” She smiles, looking down at the letter. “Just an old friend checking up on me?”</p><p>“Phillipa?”</p><p>“No.” Keira shakes her head, eyes following Lambert as he crosses the room, and pours himself some water from the decanter in the corner. “His name is Sigismund. A contact from my days in the Temerian Court.”</p><p>“A <em> contact </em>?” Lambert looks at her over the rim of the cup, and winks.</p><p>“He should be so lucky.” Keira smirks. “Although I could do worse. Sigismund is very influential. And very rich.” She crosses her legs. “He would give me a comfortable life.”</p><p>“Yes.” Lambert raises one arm dramatically as he puts on what Eskel calls his ‘Vesemir’ voice. “Full of banquets, I wager. And court meetings. Horse races and wine tasting.”</p><p>Keira smiles, but it falls as she looks down at the letter. </p><p>Lambert nods. “You miss that life, don’t you?”</p><p>“Sometimes.” She nods, then looks back at him while standing. “But not enough to leave this one.” </p><p>Lambert smiles against her lips as she kisses him, his arms wrapping around her. </p><p>“We <em>could</em> go to the soiree at Castel Ravello this year.”</p><p>“<em> You? </em> At a soiree.”</p><p>“I’d survive.” He smiles, then narrows his eyes.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” He looks past her to where the letter’s been left on the bed. “Is it your friend?”</p><p>“Yes.” Keira nods. “Lambert...I need to go to Novigrad. Just for an hour or two. Just…” She looks down. “I need to look into something.”</p><p>“Do you want an escort?”</p><p>“No.” She shakes her head. “It might be best if I go alone.”</p><p>“Okay.” Lambert tenses. “But take the xenovox. Ciri can have me at your side in a heartbeat if there’s trouble.”</p><p>She smiles. “My knight in shining armour.”</p><p>She takes the communication device when Lambert hands it to her. “I’ll be fine.”</p><p>“<em> And </em> you’ll be home by midnight.” Lambert says sternly. “Or no soiree.”</p><p>She laughs, and nods before picking up the letter and opening the portal.</p><p>As soon as the portal is closed, Lambert sighs, and sits on the bed.</p><p>“Did you just commit to a fucking soiree, Lambert.” He lays back on the mattress, then laughs to himself.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>It’s a rare sunny day in Novigrad, and surprisingly warm for winter. Children laugh and play in the street outside, and it is this that the figure watches from the window, a thin cloak worn over his wool pyjamas. </p><p>Standing beside him, Dijkstra leans against the edge of the window, looking out onto Putrid Grove. </p><p>“We could go out there?”</p><p>Kiyan doesn’t answer.</p><p>“You’ve been cooped up in this house since we found you. And cages before that.” </p><p>“It’s safe here.” Kiyan shakes his head, pulling the hood of the cloak forward to hide his face. “There’s pain outside.”</p><p>“Not everywhere.” Dijkstra smiles. “Sooner you take that first step outside, the sooner it stops scaring you.” </p><p>He rests a hand on the witcher’s back, only for the other man to flinch, shaking his head harder.</p><p>“Alright.” Dijkstra nods. “Shame. It’s a nice day.”</p><p>The children in the street startle as the first sparks of magic appear in the middle of the road, before exploding into the orange disk of a mage’s portal.</p><p>“Of all the…” Dijkstra shakes his head. “Wait here, Key. I need to go shout at an idiot” </p><p>He pats the witcher’s shoulder before, with as much speed as his injured leg allows, making his way to the front of the house, hands thrown to his side as his barks at the mage now standing before him.</p><p>“What in the name of the eternal fucking fire are you thinking?” He shouts. “Portal in the middle of the day? In the street?”</p><p>“It’s Putrid Grove.” The mage says as she turns to face him.</p><p>“Keira.” Dijkstra shakes his head. “Of course it's you.” </p><p>“Hello, Sigismund.” She holds up the letter. “I got your note.”</p><p>“You know Putrid Grove gets patrols the same as everywhere?”</p><p>“Well I didn’t think you’d appreciate magic in the <em> house </em> .” Keira snaps back. “You did say that your <em> guest </em> was tortured by a sorcerer, after all.”</p><p>“Oh, bloody hell.” He turns, gritting his teeth against his increasingly unhappy leg as he takes the stairs two at a time, leaning against the wall at the top.</p><p>The bedroom is empty. Or seems to be.</p><p>“Ah, Key.” He moves over to the bed, picking up the stool beside it and carrying it over to the cupboard in the corner of the room. Sure enough the door is cracked open, its new contents unable to close it completely from the inside. </p><p>“You stay there.” He points at Keira, and indicates the back of the room with a nod before sitting on the stool and gently, with barely a sound, knocking on the cupboard door.</p><p>“Hey. You had a fright, Key?”</p><p>As Keira watches, the cupboard door opens and a pale hand reaches out, wrist hidden by the sleeve of a soft wool shirt.</p><p>Dijkstra smiles as he takes hold of the hand. “No one’s going to hurt you?”</p><p>“What’s happened?” Keira asks.</p><p>“Saw your portal through the window.”</p><p>Keira moves to look past Dijkstra, through the crack in the cupboard. And the wide amber eyes looking back are so full of naked fear that it makes the mage feel sick.</p><p>She recognises him from Gaetan’s memories. </p><p>“Kiyan.”</p><p>And the witcher launches at her, the sorceress barely having time to throw up a shield while, at the same time, Dijkstra uses his entire body weight to anchor Kiyan, grunting with effort. </p><p>“Calm down, Key. She won’t hurt you. Calm down.” </p><p>The witcher hyperventilates, his skin flashing orange as a quen passes over him, and he collapses to his knees. </p><p>“No. No. No.”</p><p>The amber eyes dart left and right, facial expression changing from anguish to pain to anguish. He relives memories before their eyes.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“It’s alright.” Dijkstra soothes. “It’s alright. You’re in the room with me. You’re with me. Where are you, Kiyan?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Where are you, Kiyan?”</p><p>He looks around. “Our house..”</p><p>“What’s in the room?”</p><p>“Bed. Cupboard. Stool. You. You. Me.”</p><p>“You’re in <em>this</em> room. In the house that Francis gave you to recover in.” Dijkstra smiles. “And what is our house?”</p><p>“Safe.” Kiyan lets out a long breath. </p><p>“Good man.” Dijkstra risks relaxing his hold on the witcher. “Good man. Do you want to go back to your hiding place, Key?”</p><p>The witcher nods, and climbs back into the cupboard, pulling the door closed as much as he can from inside.</p><p>“Okay. You stay in there.” Dijkstra sits back on the stool.</p><p>“Sigismund, I…”</p><p>“No, it’s my fault. Should have organised a place to meet.” He grimaces. “Didn’t expect you to give your update on Gaetan in person.”</p><p>“Gaetan?” Kiyan says. “The mage portal...”</p><p>“No.” Djikstra says, lightly. “Remember when we talked about this? Gaetan is in Kaer Morhen. Keira here has come to tell us how he’s getting on.”</p><p>“Yes, Key.” Keira says, adopting Dijkstra's nickname as she kneels down behind the sitting spymaster. Here, she can just make out Kiyan’s eye through the crack in the door. </p><p>She smiles. “Would you like to see Gaetan?”</p><p>The witcher doesn’t respond, except to look at Dijkstra.</p><p>“Sigismund?” Keira stands. “Do you have a mirror or reflecting surface?”</p><p>“Door under the stairs.”</p><p>Keira returns a moment later, the mirror held between her hands, and Dijkstra stands to take it from her.</p><p>“Is your party trick going to work if I’m holding it? I…”</p><p>“You want to stay between me and him.” She nods, understanding in her eyes as she steps away and waits for Dijkstra to sit back down, the mirror resting on his knees.</p><p>The spymaster looks around the frame as the reflection changes from an image of the cupboard, to an image of a snow covered castle yard.</p><p>The perspective looks down for a moment, Keira’s hand appearing as it adjusts the red glove on the other, then the perspective looks up again. </p><p>A woman with ashen hair stands to one side, her eyes empty of all features, and a blue glow in her hands. The same glow surrounds a large stone behind her, and it lifts from the ground, floating in the air for a moment, and then shooting towards a small witcher on the other side of the yard. </p><p>An yrden ring slows the flight of the stone, before an aard blast sends the rock back towards the woman, where a blue glow surrounds it again before sending it back towards the witcher. </p><p>They both laugh as the pattern repeats, darting around the yard with the small rock passing between them.”</p><p>“Gaetan, use Quen this time.” A third witcher, huge and bald, turns from Gaetan to the ashen haired woman. “Ciri, try to blink into the path of the rock. See if you can catch it.”</p><p>She nods.</p><p>“This memory is from a couple of days ago.” Keira says, quietly. “Cirilla and Gaetan often train with Letho. He is a natural teacher.”</p><p>“Yes.” Dijkstra looks at her. “Funny. Dandelion didn’t mention the Kingslayer being at Kaer Morhen.”</p><p>“Stay on subject.” Keira whispers back, before smiling. </p><p>Because a hand is reaching out of the cupboard, trembling fingertips brushing over Gaetan’s face in the mirror.</p><p>“That's your boy?” Dijkstra says. “He looks happy there.”</p><p>Kiyan nods and sits back in the cupboard, hands folded in his cloak. But his eyes don’t leave the mirror.</p><p>In the mirror, Gaetan is now fighting Letho while another witcher, one with a face covered in scars, watches from the sides with a fond smile.</p><p>Two steel swords collide, Gaetan pushing against Letho’s blade as the viper pushes back, teeth gritted.</p><p>Gaetan suddenly pulls his sword back and rolls from shoulder to shoulder, coming up at Letho’s left side and pushing his sword through the gap in the viper’s defences, the tip stopping just short of his neck.</p><p>The cat lowers his sword, and Eskel laughs and smiles, clapping as he walks down into the yard to pull Letho into an embrace. They kiss deeply, then both extend their arms, inviting Gaetan into the middle of their embrace, kisses on his forehead and the back of his head together.</p><p>Dijkstra looks at Keira, who looks to the side with a grin.</p><p>Both of them look back when Kiyan gasps with joy, hands now covering his mouth as if to hide the happy sound.</p><p>Protect it.</p><p>“Yeah.” The spymaster nods. “He’s found love.”</p><p>Behind Letho, Ciri slowly raises her sword, sneaks up behind the viper, and taps the blade on his shoulder.</p><p>“Failed.” She cries out triumphantly, and Letho turns to face her while the laughing Gaetan and Eskel step back.</p><p>Letho turns back, eyes narrow. </p><p>“Traitors.”</p><p>Gaetan doubles over, Eskel patting his back as he also descents into hysterics. </p><p>“Killed by love.” Ciri resheaths her sword. “So tragic.”</p><p>“Nice job, kid.” Lambert steps out from behind Keira in the image, pulling Ciri into a one armed hug. “Told you you’d get him in the end. Just needed a helping hand.”</p><p>Gaetan bows, only to be grabbed by the collar and pulled against Letho’s chest.</p><p>“You’ll both pay for that, later.” Letho says, before kissing him.</p><p>Kiyan’s smile falters slightly, his arms moving to wrap around his body in a self hug as he listens to Gaetan’s laugh.</p><p>“He still thinks of you.” Keira says.</p><p>He looks up as the image changes to a different memory. </p><p> </p><p>“What is that you're playing?”</p><p>“Nothing.”</p><p>“Well it’s clearly a favourite. You’ve been practicing it all evening.”</p><p>“Sorry.”</p><p>“No. Don’t apologise. It’s beautiful”</p><p>“It’s...it’s a lullaby. After the grass trial...well...I had nightmares a lot. I wasn’t even ten years old dealing with that crap, and the cat mutations messed up my emotions, you know? So, Kiyan would sing this to me, to help keep me calm.”</p><p> </p><p>Kiyan hums along with the violin, and smiles again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chocolate Chip</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Artwork by Embeer2004</p><p>https://marbienl13.tumblr.com/</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Handing the mirror to Kiera, Dijkstra leans forward. </p><p>“Kiyan, do you want to see Gaetan again?”</p><p>Kiyan looks around the cupboard door at the mirror.</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Not in the mirror, Key.” Dijkstra waits for the cat’s attention to move back to him. “Do you want to <em> see </em>him again? Talk to him? Hold him?”</p><p>Kiyan disappears, scurrying as far into the cupboard as he can.</p><p>“Gaetan’s happy.” He says.</p><p>“Yeah.” Dijkstra nods. “And you could be too. We could go to Kaer Morhen.”</p><p>Keira smiles, nodding when Dijkstra looks at her out of the corner of his eye.</p><p>“No.” Kiyan shakes his head. “I’m only pain.” </p><p>“What?” Dijkstra turns his attention back to the Witcher. “Why do you say that, Key?”</p><p>Kiyan pulls his cloak up, hiding his face. </p><p>“Alright, mate.” Dijktra turns to the mage. “Keira, can you give us a moment, love.”</p><p>“Of course.” She whispers, making her way to the stairs and, with one last glance at the cupboard, leaving the room. </p><p>Dijkstra sighs, and looks at Kiyan. </p><p>“Key, you said you’re only pain. Are you feeling pain right now?”</p><p>Kiyan flinches, and taps at his upper arm. </p><p>“Yeah I held on tight there.” Dijkstra grits his teeth. “Had to stop you attacking my friend. Sorry.”</p><p>Kiyan shakes his head. “Witcher’s heal fast.”</p><p>“Yeah. You do. But you still feel pain. And get scars. Only...” </p><p>Slowly, Dijkstra stands, opening the other door to the cupboard so he can sit on the edge, opposite the witcher. He reaches out his hand, palm up, and after a moment Kiyan takes it, watching as Dijkstra slowly pulls the sleeve of his shirt up his arm. </p><p>“...Look at that.” Dijkstra says, quietly. “No scars on your arms or back, Key. None on your front. None on your face.” He smiles. “Now, who's ever seen a witcher without scars?”</p><p>Kiyan’s other hand comes up, finger gently tracing up and down the exposed, smooth skin on his arm. </p><p>“We healed your body with new skin, Key. Not a trace left of what those bastards did to you. Not a trace left of your pain before you were kidnapped. And in time, we’ll take away all the scars up there too.” He gently taps Kiyan’s forehead. “Look how far you’ve already come. When we first met, the only sound you made was to growl or cry. Then you started talking. And you were <em> smiling </em>just now.”</p><p>Kiyan's lips curl up slightly.</p><p>“There you go. Now I get if you want to lie to Gaetan. Let him carry on thinking you're dead. Protect him from what happened to you. But if it was Gaetan who had gone through that shite, your boy that that mage had kidnapped, that Whoreson Junior had tortured, would <em> you </em> want to be hidden from it?”</p><p>Kiyan’s face falls, his voice so quiet that he practically mouths his words. </p><p>“I would want to hold him.”</p><p>“You’d want to hold him.” Dijkstra nods. “And I think that Gaetan will want to hold you, too?” </p><p>The witcher wraps his arms around himself, trembling. </p><p>“Is that what <em> you </em>want, Kiyan?”</p><p>He nods, a small sob escaping him.</p><p>“Well, I’m not Gaetan, but I’m here right now at least.” Settling further into Kiyan’s hiding space, Dijkstra opens his arms. “Come on.” </p><p>Kiyan is hesitant, one hand tapping at Dijkstra’s arm like he’s checking the temperature. Then he slowly moves forward, resting his body against the spymaster’s chest and turning his face into the material of the doublet as the first sob escapes. Then another. And another.  </p><p>“That’s it, Key.” Dijkstra whispers, wrapping his arms around the witcher. “That’s it.” </p><p>He doesn’t say anything else. What can Dijkstra say to comfort two years of pain and torment? What can he say to the childhood and life of a witcher? Nothing. Except “That’s it.”</p><p>“Will you come with me?” Kiyan asks.</p><p>“Of course.” Dijkstra says. “Me and Francis. Dudu and Zoltan if they can. We’ll go with you. Make sure you’re safe there for the rest of the winter. Both you <em> and </em> your boy.”</p><p>Kiyan nods against the doublet. “And then?”</p><p>“Well, that’s up to you.” Dijkstra smiles. “I <em> did </em> have an idea.” </p><p>He gently sits Kiyan back, looking in his eyes.</p><p>“See, I’m in the market for an errand man. Info gathering. Bit of spying. Someone to stand behind me and be menacing when I need to look tough. And there’s some housekeeping duties too. Main task being to help Bart keep the drowners out of the basement.” He hums. “There’s perks for working for me, of course. I like to think that I pay well. I give food and board where needed. And I’ll keep a tab paid for you at the Passiflora.”</p><p>Kiyan shakes his head.</p><p>“Not into that sort of thing? Alright. You like music though. So how about a tab at Dandelion’s cabaret?” </p><p>Kiyan looks away. “Caviar and strawberries for breakfast.”</p><p>“Bit much.” Dijkstra grins, but then it falls when Kiyan sniffs. </p><p>“And he offered lobster for lunch. But...it meant more assassinations.” </p><p>“Assassinations?”</p><p>Kiyan pushes himself out of Dijkstra’s arms. </p><p>“The gold was too good.” </p><p>Dijkstra nods.</p><p>“I never told anyone, not even Gaetan. He’d been...I always told him to avoid those contracts. I want him to be better than me.”</p><p>“Of course you do.”</p><p>“But...there was no gold anywhere else.”</p><p>Dijkstra nods.</p><p>“That’s why, isn’t it? That’s why the mage took me? I deserved it. I am pain. I AM PAIN.”</p><p>The fresh sobs wrack the witcher’s body as Dijkstra pulls him back against his chest, hushing him.</p><p>“You didn’t deserve it, Key.” He says, over and over. “You didn’t deserve it. You were a victim. <em> Just </em> a victim.”</p><p>He waits until the cat is calmer, and then gently sits him back again. </p><p>“Look at me.”</p><p>Kiyan does so.</p><p>“My ledger’s not squeaky clean either.” Dijkstra says, wiping at the other man’s tear stained cheek with his thumb. “Our world isn’t about good and evil. It’s about doing what you think needs to be done at the time. You needed gold, so you made a living in a world that only let you survive by being a monster. Doesn’t make it right, but the fact that you’re crying about it now shows that you know that. And I think you knew that before. That’s why you turned down that other offer, isn’t it?”</p><p>Kiyan doesn’t answer.</p><p>“You’ve got no scars now, Key.” Dijkstra says, quietly. “You’re completely healed. This is a fresh start. A new life, for you <em> and </em> Gaetan.”</p><p>Kiyan nods, and falls back into the spymaster’s embrace, letting his friend hold him tight as time passes.</p><p>“Sigi?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Whose Bart?”</p><p>Dijkstra chuckles. “You are going to <em> love </em> Bart.”</p><p>They sit like that, Dijkstra forgetting that Keira is downstairs until he hears the house’s front door open and slam shut, followed by the sound of very small, very fast feet.</p><p>“Kiyan?” A child’s voice rings out. </p><p>Dijkstra watches the small, one eyed boy appear at the top of the stairs, looking across at them. </p><p>“Why are you in a cupboard?”</p><p>Keira is behind the boy. “He ran straight past me…”</p><p>“It’s alright, Keira.” Dijkstra says, letting go of Kiyan and standing. “Dudu, this is my old friend, Keira Metz.”</p><p>“Hello.”</p><p>“Hello, young man.”</p><p>He turns back to Kiyan. “I’ve got cookies.” He pulls one out of the bag. “Look they’ve got little bits of chocolate in them. Come on, take one.”</p><p>Slowly, Kiyan takes one of the treats, nibbling it slowly.</p><p>The doppler puts the bag to one side before climbing onto the witcher’s lap, snuggled against his chest as he munches on his own cookie.</p><p>Keira looks at Dijkstra, who quietly puts a finger to his lips and shakes his head before indicating the stairs behind her with a nod.</p><p>“Dudu turns into that boy when something’s upset him.” He whispers as they stand beside each other there. “Francis or Zoltan with him?”</p><p>“He was alone.” Keira whispers in turn. “Dudu? Geralt’s Doppler friend?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Can we help?”</p><p>“Let them be for now.” Dijkstra nods. “Kiyan’s a father, remember?”</p><p>In the cupboard, Kiyan sleepily pulls his cloak out from under the doppler so that he can tuck it around the child. That done, he settles against the back of the cupboard, his eyes closing. </p><p>“Dudu knows what he needs.” Dijkstra says, guiding the sorceress back downstairs. “Come on.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>They stand in the street, the door ajar so that they can hear if Kiyan or Dudu call to them. </p><p>“Kaer Morhen’s a few days travel if we arrange a cart.”</p><p>“A cart?” Keira holds up her hands. “With time to prepare, I can have you and Kiyan in Kaer Morhen instantly.”</p><p>“No.” Dijkstra shakes his head. “No portals.”</p><p>“But…”</p><p>“You saw how he reacted to the portal in the street.” Dijkstra argues. “His last mage’s portal took him to two <em> years </em> of torture. Of course he’s afraid of them.”</p><p>“But this time, he will <em> know </em> that it’s…”</p><p>“Do you know what the word irrational means, Keira?” Dijkstra snaps. “We can reassure him until the fucking cows come home. He’ll still be afraid.”</p><p>“A short moment of fear and then…”</p><p>“You don’t understand trauma at <em> all </em>, do you?”</p><p>“Do you?”</p><p>“No.” Dijkstra says. “Which is why, soon as I met Bart, I spent five days chatting with Shani. I’m sure you’ve heard of her.”</p><p>Keira nods.</p><p>“Learned a lot from our little chats. Learned that once it’s in the mind, fear is as bad as a plague.”</p><p>“Except fear can’t kill you.”</p><p>“Can’t it?” Dijkstra shakes his head. “Redanian soldiers once needed to get info from a Scoia'tael scout they’d captured.” </p><p>Walking past Keira, he looks out into the street, watching two women sweeping dust from a porch. </p><p>“Right party they planned for him. Dragged him to a tree, threw a bag over his head, and then forced him onto a stool with a rope around his neck. Held him there for a few minutes demanding his last words. Poor bastard pissed himself. </p><p>Keira shakes her head.</p><p>“Then they counted down slowly.” Dijkstra turns back to face her. “And kicked the stool away. Same time as the hangman let go of the rope.”</p><p>He crosses his arms. “Scout was never in danger of anything more than bruising his knees. But I saw his face when they took that bloody hood off of him. He might not have died, Keira, but they still killed him.” </p><p>Keira swallows, one hand coming to her chest.</p><p>“After three rounds of that and he was putty in their hands. They got all the info they needed through fear alone.” Dijkstra points at the window above them. “And <em> that </em>witcher there’s been through enough fear to last most of us a lifetime. I’m not going to force him to face more, whatever the outcome. Not until he’s ready.”</p><p>Keira nods. “The pass to Kaer Morhen will still be frozen.”</p><p>“Is there a way around it?”</p><p>“Yes. Me.” She holds up her hand, and a small flame dances around her fingers. “It will be clear by the time you reach it.”</p><p>She reaches into her pocket, pulling out a xenovox. “My partner, Lambert, has the other one. We’ll give it to Gaetan, let them talk to each other while you’re on the road.”</p><p>Dijkstra nods as he accepts the device. </p><p>“Is Kiyan looking through the window.” </p><p>“Doubt it.”</p><p>Keira nods, and turns away. “See you in Kaer Morhen.”</p><p>She opens the portal, and steps through. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>When Dijkstra returns to the bedroom, it is to find Kiyan laid on his side in the bed, fast asleep.</p><p>Sat on the stool beside the bed is a redhead half-elf. A half-elf who is gently running his hand through Kiyan’s black hair.</p><p>“Hello?” Dijkstra says. </p><p>“I’m not good at the voice, yet.” The half-elf says, the light voice phasing between accents. “It’s harder to form details...when it’s from someone’s memory.”</p><p>“Do you know your name?”</p><p>“Gezras.” The half-elf looks at Dijkstra with one, yellow eye. “I’m Gezras of Leyda.”</p><p>“Are you <em> Kiyan’s </em> mentor?”</p><p>The half-elf nods.</p><p>“Well.” Dijkstra smiles. “Aren’t I meeting the family tree today.”</p><p>Dudu turns back to Kiyan as the witcher fidgets, mumbling in his sleep before, with a deep sigh, settling as Dudu...Gezras...hushes him. </p><p>“I heard a woman scream.” Dudu says, his voice cracking. “The guards dealt with it...it was a mugging. But...the scream was...she sounded so much like…and...”</p><p>“You don’t need to explain, Dudu.” Dijkstra sits on the edge of the bed. “You needed a timeout. That’s all you need to say.”</p><p>“I needed a timeout.” </p><p>“You okay now?”</p><p>“I think so.”</p><p>“It’s okay if you’re not.”</p><p>“Kiyan?” Dudu says. “Your friend Keira showed him Gaetan?”</p><p>“At Kaer Morhen.” Dijkstra says. “We’re going to go there. Me and Kiyan. You can come too, if you want?”</p><p>“I think...I think I’d like that.” Dudu smiles. “I’d like that.”</p><p>“Be ready to leave in a few days.” Dijkstra reaches into his pocket and pulls out the Xenovox, resting it on the bedside table. </p><p>The half-elf picks it up, studying it. “I take it Gaetan has the other one?”</p><p>“He will soon.” Dijkstra nods. “Can you watch Key? I need to talk to Francis.”</p><p>Dudu nods, putting the Xenovox back on the table before returning his attention to Kiyan. His hand soon resumes the gentle strokes through the sleeping witcher’s hair. </p><p>As Dijkstra goes to leave the room, he realises that Dudu...or rather Kiyan’s memory of Gezras...is now singing an elvish lullaby. </p><p>The lyrics are unfamiliar to Dijkstra, but not the tune.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Novigrad Dreaming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Every time I think "This will be the last chapter" and then I get to the end and it isn't :-D</p><p>This fic does not want to end.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gaetan jumps past the pendulum, sword swinging to strike it so hard that the chain creaks. </p><p>He screams and kicks it, not caring when his leg protests. </p><p>When pain shoots up his spine.</p><p>“Gaetan?” Eskel crosses his arms as he stands at the top of the stairs. </p><p>“WHAT?” The cat screams back, eyes burning. His mood is not helped when, in his distraction, he misses the pendulum’s return swing. </p><p>Knocked to the ground he grimaces, and kicks at the wooden post. </p><p>“Are you hurt?”</p><p>“Am I hurt? Am <em> I </em> hurt?” Gaetan laughs, but not with humour. “Kiyan came to Dyn Marv as a baby, he told me. He’s never had a chance to be human. He’s only ever <em> been </em> a witcher. And he’s only ever helped. Protected. Killed monsters that...he made the world safer. And that world <em> tortured </em> him.”</p><p>Eskel nods, staying silent.</p><p>“And this is us now? Hiding in a keep for the winter because we can’t get coin and food in the human world. Because we’re freaks for them to kick and stick pitchforks into. And no matter how many we save or protect or...how many of us <em> die </em> fighting monsters that we <em> never </em> asked to fight. And <em> FUCK those WHORESONS.” </em></p><p>He throws the silver sword to the ground, and spits. </p><p>“I’m going to kill them.” Gaetan hisses again, shoulders trembling, back taunt. “I’ll find those bastards that...and I’ll rip <em> their </em> skin off. And then I’ll burn them all. And their families. And...”</p><p>“No, Gaetan.” Eskel takes his arm, and the cat hisses.</p><p>“You’re not going to <em> stop </em> me.” Gaetan strikes. </p><p>Only this isn’t Gaetan that Eskel is fighting. It’s anger. Rage. The blind instinct of a beast let of its leash. </p><p>The beast of Honorton. </p><p>Mutations and instincts and anger explode like a bomb. And the beast cries out, lashing at Eskel with trained movements that the wolf barely dodges, falling back down the stairs but not before grabbing Gaetan’s wrists, sending the cat tumbling with him to the ground below the platform.</p><p>Gaetan breaks from the hold, and swings a fist, only to lose his balance.</p><p>Because Eskel is gone, appearing on the other side of the yard with Ciri holding his hand.</p><p>The surprise of losing his target distracts the beast, and gives Letho the opening he needs to wrap around Gaetan’s legs, tackling the screaming cat to the ground and forcing him onto his stomach. </p><p>He bites and pulls and screams as Lambert lays across his back, lips next to his ear.</p><p>“Calm down, kid. It’s okay. It’s okay.”</p><p>“No!” Letho shouts as Eskel prepares an axii. “Let him calm down on his own.”</p><p>Ciri stands beside him. “He just tried to...”</p><p>“Wasn’t <em> Eskel </em>he was seeing, Princess.” Letho shakes his head and strokes Gaetan’s back as the cat starts to sob into the ground.</p><p>“It hurts…”</p><p>“Shhh.” Letho smiles. “We’re here, Tiger.”</p><p>“Let’s get him in the warm.” Lambert says, sitting up.</p><p>Keira places her hands on Ciri’s shoulders. “We should check the fire.”</p><p>The witcheress nods, and follows her friend inside. </p><p>By the time Letho appears with the sobbing Gaetan in his arms, the fire in the main hall is well fed and roaring brightly, a warm sanctuary as he sits there. He is thankful that they had kept Gaetan’s nest, which now often serves as a daybed for anyone working on swords or reading a book.</p><p>He lays Gaetan so that the cat’s head is against his lap, facing Letho’s abdomen and blinking slowly and unseeing as Letho strokes around his ear, and across the light dark stubble of his head.</p><p>“Kiyan will be here in a few days, Gaetan.” Eskel says quietly as he sits beside them, stroking Gaetan’s arm. “We’ll take him to the hot springs every evening and let him relax. You know how soothing they can be.” </p><p>Gaetan nods.</p><p>“And we’ll give him fish with every breakfast.” Lambert kneels at Gaetan’s feet, removing his boots. “And he can train with us, to get his strength back.”</p><p>“Lambert said that Kiyan liked to study Elven culture and history.” Keira holds Gaetan’s hand. “The library is full of such manuscripts. He can sit there for hours.” </p><p>Ciri smiles. “And <em> I </em> happen to know the way to Tir ná Lia.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Look at these runes.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> He lifts the small boy, sitting him on his shoulders so that his eyes, still struggling in the bright light, are closer to the carved shapes. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “This one means forest.” Kiyan says, pointing at the rune. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “He didn’t survive the grasses so you could kill him with boredom.” Joel leans against the ruin wall. </em>
</p><p><em> “Ignore him, Tiger Cub.” Kiyan says, looking up at Gaetan before turning back to the runes. “This is talking about how the forest protects the elves. My Mentor taught me to read runes. And </em> he <em> was taught by the Scoia'tael.” </em></p><p>
  <em> “The Squirrel Monsters?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Kiyan looks up at him again. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Aiden said they’re part elf, part squirrel. And they have tails growing out of their clothes.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Kiyan glares at Joel, who makes a surrender gesture.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “AIDEN.” He shouts in the direction of the campsite, marching towards it as his adept responds innocently. The same adept is soon being dragged into one of the caravans by his ear. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Kiyan shakes his head, and then points at the first group of runes.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Let’s see what else the runes say.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Kiyan’s going to make happy memories here with us.” Eskel continues. “We’ll take care of him, just like we take care of each other.” He smiles. “Take care of you.”</p><p>Letho nods, letting Gaetan sit up so that he can lean against his chest.</p><p>“He’s going to be okay?” Gaetan whispers. </p><p>They all nod. </p><p>“He’s going to be okay.” Lambert says.</p><p>He looks at Eskel. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“You lost control.” Eskel nods. “We can work on that. Don’t worry.”</p><p>“Important thing is you didn’t hurt anyone.” Letho says. “And we didn’t hurt you. Just like we promised.” </p><p>Eskel smiles. “And no one is <em>ever</em> going to hurt Kiyan again.”</p><p>Gaetan nods, and closes his eyes.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Leaving Gaetan curled up in Letho’s arms, it is at the top of the stairs that Eskel allows himself a moment. Sat with his legs trailing down the stairwell, fingers digging into his eyes as if to try and hold the tears in. Harsh breaths are sucked through gritted teeth. </p><p>He is only barely conscious of the hand that rests on his shoulder. </p><p>No words are said, just a gentle pressure. </p><p>“Sometimes…” Eskel wipes at his eyes.. “I think about the path, the world it takes us through. And I just feel...”</p><p>“Tired.”</p><p>Eskel nods.</p><p>Lambert settles behind him on the stairs, and just waits for his brother to speak again.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Keira’s face softens as she sees the small figure sat curled up on the floor by the door.</p><p>“Gaetan?” She smiles. “Are you alone?”</p><p>“Eskel’s with Lambert.” Gaetan shrugs. “Letho’s asleep. I think Ciri’s pissed off with me.”</p><p>“Ciri understands.” She crouches down next to him. “I was just speaking to her. She’s already making plans for all the places in Tir ná Lia that she’s going to show Kiyan. I think she’s looking forward to having another Elf culture enthusiast to talk to.”</p><p>She chuckles, and Gaetan soon joins in.</p><p>“You shouldn’t be by yourself tonight, Sweetheart. Do you want to come in?”</p><p>He shakes his head, and bites his bottom lip before looking at her.</p><p>Keira looks back, and nods. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>A sliver of moonlight is the only light in the room, casting a blade shape over the bed and the two figures curled up there, laid with their backs to each other. </p><p>One is a witcher, long black hair trailing over the pillow and blanket in messy tresses. </p><p>The other is curled tightly on the blanket, knees and long arms folded at his chest. The skin is nude and all features and face blank but for a scar across the eye and a pointed nose. </p><p>A canvas waiting for paint.</p><p>Keira goes to the second figure, smiling as she crouches down beside the bed and draws a spare blanket over him.</p><p>“Egvane Navr.” She whispers near the ear. “Dream about your favourite play.”</p><p>The Doppler sighs in his sleep, and for a moment the natural form morphs into the actress Irina Renardea, before settling back to the blank canvas. </p><p>On the other side of the bed, Gaetan swallows as he sits on the stool there, resting a hand on Kiyan’s arm…</p><p>Kiyan! It’s Kiyan, alive and safe and…</p><p>And Gaetan stops breathing as that moment of touch makes it all real. Brings to a crashing halt the rush that has been his words since Keira had told him Kiyan is...</p><p>Kiyan is.... </p><p>Kiyan’s eyes slowly open. “Tellico?”</p><p>Gaetan sits back.</p><p>“You have both eyes. You said you couldn’t...wait?” He looks over his shoulder, sees the sleeping Dudu, and like a flash Kiyan is at the foot of the bed, knees against his chest, panting as he looks at Gaetan.</p><p>“Hey...hey…” Gaetan smiles, holding up a hand.</p><p>Kiyan utters a small cry, then looks at Dudu again, at Keira, before looking back at Gaetan. </p><p>He slowly moves towards the younger cat witcher. And he’s sniffing...no smelling. All senses are fully heightened as he takes in Gaetan’s appearance, sound, scent. All things he thought he’d never...</p><p>“Tiger?”</p><p>“Hey Mad man.” Gaetan’s face falls as arms wrap around him, his head resting against the chest it has rested against so many times before. </p><p>Kiyan’s hands are on his scalp, the back of his neck, running down his back. Checking for injuries and tension. Checking for damage the path has caused that Kiyan can now soothe. </p><p>A practiced, calm routine that Gaetan had forgotten he missed.</p><p>The hand finds the pitchfork scar, and Kiyan growls. </p><p>“It’s okay.” Gaetan whispers. “Kaer Morhen healed it. They’re healing <em> me </em>. They’ll heal you too.”</p><p>His tears fall into Kiyan’s waiting thumbs as the witcher tilts him back, cupping his face.</p><p>“You’re safe?”</p><p>Gaetan nods.</p><p>“Happy?”</p><p>Gaetan smiles and closes his eyes as Kiyan kisses his forehead. </p><p>“Then this is a good dream.”</p><p>And Gaetan could stay in those arms forever, that embrace that has meant safety so many times. That meant home, from the moment he arrived at Dyn Marv, sold to the caravan for a fiend contract because another mouth to feed became gold when you could get rid of it.</p><p>He was tiny, but he can still remember the horrible, angry look on Dragonfly’s face as she accepts the tiny child from the Alderman.</p><p>His sister cries in the corner.</p><p>Gaetan can remember being tucked into a small cot in the caravan. Sung to by the man he was told to call Mentor. </p><p>His hand is held during the trials. His frail body carried afterwards, aching limbs massaged and a hot brow cooled with a cloth while he sat in the lap of the man he called Mentor. </p><p>Sits on his shoulders while his Father reads runes.</p><p>Gaetan starts to hum the lullaby that had been his childhood. Kiyan’s childhood. The song sung to Gezras as he recovered from the horrors of Stygga. Sheltered and nursed back to health by the Scoia'tael that became his family.</p><p>The family that went on to define Dyn Marv. </p><p>As he hums, Gaetan brings Kiyan’s head to rest against his chest, cupping the outer ear so that all he can hear is his adept’s heartbeat. A comforting, gentle sound. The sound that Letho lets Gaetan listen to as he is held tight. Secure. </p><p>“Are you safe, Kiyan?”</p><p>His other hand gently strokes Kiyan's back over, and over. The way Eskel strokes his back as they lay by the fire some evenings. </p><p>Sometimes Eskel scratches behind his ear. </p><p>“Kiyan?”</p><p>“I wasn’t.” The witcher blinks. “But they found me. They found someone who made the pain stop.” </p><p>“They?”</p><p>“Sigi, Francis and Tellico.”</p><p><em> ‘That’s Tellico.’ </em>Keira mouths the word as she points at the sleeping doppler.</p><p>Gaetan nods, and smiles as Kiyan starts to purr. He purrs until the purring becomes gentle breathing, the witcher relaxing against him, eyes closed, mouth slightly open.</p><p>Gaetan slowly lays the sleeping witcher back down, stroking his cheek before pulling the blanket up to cover him again.</p><p>“I’ll see you at Kaer Morhen.” He kisses Kiyan’s temple. “We’ll look after you there.”</p><p>Then he stands and takes Keira’s hand, smiling as she reaches past him to place a book on the bedside table.</p><p>“Come on.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“It’s only me.” Francis climbs the stairs into the bedroom, and chuckles at the sight of Kiyan sitting cross legged in the cupboard, reading a book.</p><p>Francis stoops slightly, to look at the title. “The Aen Seidhe and the Aen Elle. Where did you find that, my friend?”</p><p>“A dream.” Kiyan says, without looking up from the pages. “Many of the most outstanding mages, artists and poets of recorded history have been of this race. And we have elves to thank for dozens of ingenuous items we rely on each day, from screw pumps to cosmetics.”</p><p>“Oh?” Francis smiles as he sits on the edge of the bed. “Is that so?”</p><p>Kiyan nods, and carries on reading.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. A New Chance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Letho sits on the wall, watching two of the Kaer Morhen feral cats play fight in the yard. </p><p>One is larger than the other, a clear winner in the fight, and it isn’t long before it has the smaller of the pair trapped inside its paws, where it starts to lick its head, whiskers and neck mercilessly. </p><p>Letho turns to greet Lambert with a nod as the other witcher climbs up onto the wall, placing a plate of fish between them.</p><p>“You <em> always </em> bring them food?”</p><p>“Not many mice around this time of year.” Lambert keeps his voice low, pulling his coat tighter against the early morning chill. “You wanted to see me?” </p><p>“Been thinking about what went down yesterday.”</p><p>“Gaetan attacking Eskel?” Lambert nods slowly. “Esk will hide it, but I know it shook him a bit. Can’t ignore that it happened.”</p><p>“Don’t intend to.” Letho sighs. “Part of me’s not sure it’s a good idea. Kiyan coming here.”</p><p>“He’s a witcher.” Lambert shrugs. “And he’s a damn sight safer here than in Novigrad. Witch hunters are getting worse. Already heard of one of us being burned at the stake.”</p><p>“Is Gaetan ready.” Letho looks at him. “He’s still healing himself.”</p><p>“So we help them both?” Lambert shrugs. “No one was planning on making Kiyan Gaetan’s responsibility. We’ve <em> all </em> signed up to help the mad man. He's one of us.”</p><p>“Don’t call him a mad man?”</p><p>“Don’t mean anything by it...that’s just what the cat school called him.” Lambert chuckles under his breath. “He tended to be the one to jump in without thinking. Even becoming Gaetan’s mentor. Everyone said he was too young to mentor someone, but he proved them wrong. Gaetan flourished.” </p><p>Letho smiles. </p><p>“But you’re right...from what Keira said, the name feels like a sick irony now.”</p><p>Letho pats Lambert’s arm, and looks back at the feral cats.</p><p>“Before Keira. You were with Gaetan’s brother.”</p><p>Lambert swallows, nodding. “Aiden.”</p><p>“He ever talk about the cat school’s mutagen issues?”</p><p>“He…” Lambert looks to the side. “He called it his beast. Spoke like it was something living inside of him, whispering. Intrusive thoughts, you know? Most of Aiden’s days were spent trying to ignore it. He’d read a lot, or run. He could run for miles.” Lambert looks down. “If he could, he’d get into those organised street fights.”</p><p>“How’d that work out for him?”</p><p>“He was good. Even had the Skellige championship for a small while, they called him Zama. I don’t know what it means either. Anyway some rock troll knocked it from him, literally.” Lambert laughs quietly. “Aiden was in a healers tent for a month.</p><p>“He was always calmer after those fights. He said that sort of fighting was different from contracts.” Lambert looks back at him. “Why ask?”</p><p>It’s a few minutes before Letho responds. </p><p>“Wild dog attacks you in the woods, it’s because it’s hungry.” Letho lifts the plate resting between them, throwing one bit of fish, and then the other. </p><p>The feral cats pounce on them, and both witcher’s find themselves remembering another, starving being pouncing on a piece of fish in the main hall. </p><p>“Throw meat at it, and it calms down. Runs away.” Letho lowers the plate. “Gaetan’s beast, if that’s what we’re calling it, it’s hunger. One he’s been trained to ignore. But if your hungry, best thing to do is eat.”</p><p>“Depends on whose hungry." Lambert warns. “Psychotic killers...”</p><p>“<em> Fine </em>. You come up with the analogy.”</p><p>“Geralt's the poet, not me.” Lambert shrugs. “And we <em> have </em>been encouraging Gaetan's instincts.”</p><p>“The safe ones.” Letho argues. “Chasing birds and curling up by fires.” He nods at the cats. “Those cats doing either of those things right now.”</p><p>The larger of the two cats is approaching the smaller, which growls around its fish, hair and tail all standing at attention.</p><p>“He feels that anger, and it scares him. Fear makes him angry at himself. That’s a spiral.” Letho sighs. “What happens if he feeds it? Let’s the instincts take over completely for a while? Learns that it’s okay to let go?” </p><p>“Feeds his beast.” Lambert nods. “So what, you’re going to throw fish at him. Gaetan’s not an animal.”</p><p>“No.” Letho picks up the plate, and slides down from the wall. </p><p>In the yard the cats have started grooming each other again. </p><p>“Going to need <em> you </em> on this one, Wolf. Eskel and Ciri too.” He raises a hand. “Not Keira. No offence to your girl, but this needs to be a witcher thing.”</p><p>Lambert nods.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The large, open bay is a dungeon missing only its chains. No windows, a single, barred door. Lit by flaming torches in sconces that only serve to add to the uncomfortable warmth in the room.</p><p>Ciri is carrying a bucket of water and a cloth, both of which she places near one of the sconces before returning to stand with Eskel and Lambert by the door. </p><p>Letho moves to the middle of the room, and turns to Gaetan, beckoning the cat closer. </p><p>Neither Viper nor Cat are wearing armour, each instead opting for loose fitting cotton at Letho’s suggestion, and Gaetan’s bare hands fidget at his sides.</p><p>“So, we’re all here.” He shrugs dismissively as he looks at the wall. “Is this about yesterday?”</p><p>Letho nods. “Been thinking about that.”</p><p>“And I’m being punished.” Gaetan nods.</p><p>“You’re not being punished.” Letho says. “That’s not what this is.”</p><p>Gaetan turns to Eskel, who nods. </p><p>“No.” The cat shakes his head. “Please.” He pales, genuine fear in his eyes as he nods. “Letho...Eskel...I?”</p><p>“Shh.” Letho quickly approaches him, a hand on the back of the cats head. “Ain’t ending things between us, Gaetan. But can’t let that beast of yours go unaddressed. I promised to help you with it and I will. It might be some trial and error though. That’s what this is going to be now. A trial.”</p><p>“A trial.” Gaetan looks past him at the water bucket, then his eyes shift back to a point on Letho’s chest. He nods.</p><p>“You and me, we’re going to fight.” Letho slowly removes his vest, leaving himself shirtless as he approaches Gaetan again, running gentle fingers down his unscarred cheeks. “But not like in training. Down here, you’re going to let that instinct you ignore take over. Let your mutagens take the reins.” </p><p>“Like Kiyan.” Ciri says. “When he defended Schrodigner from the merchants.”</p><p>“And you, in Honorton.” Lambert nods. </p><p>Gaetan shakes his head. “I can’t lose control.”</p><p>“You’re not losing control cat.” Letho says. “I want you to give it up. To me. Give <em> me </em> control of your instinct. Let me fight <em> it. </em>”</p><p>Gaetan looks at him. “And if you <em> can’t </em> control it?”</p><p>“That’s why <em> we’re </em> here, kid.” Lambert says.</p><p>Eskel nods. “We won’t let it get out of hand.”</p><p>“We’ll stop you if we have to.”</p><p>Gaetan looks at Ciri. “What if I hurt Letho before you can?”</p><p>“You’ve seen how fast Princess blinks.” Letho smiles.</p><p>Gaetan is clearly nervous, but he nods, squaring his shoulders and closing his eyes. “Letho?”</p><p>“Let go, Gaetan.” Letho whispers. “All those walls. All that training between you and your instincts. Let go. Just go to sleep in there. Let the beast out and trust me with it?”</p><p>Gaetan sniffs the air, tilts his head as if listening to something. Then his eyes open and he approaches Letho, resting his face against his chest and...rubbing.</p><p>“That’s it.” Letho whispers. </p><p>When Gaetan steps back, he lifts his hand, and Letho nods, taking it and holding it against his face, rubbing it in the same way, cupping it against his nose and mouth so he can smell the scent of the palm, tongue flicking out for just a second to taste before he kisses the skin, all the while looking into Gaetan’s eyes. </p><p><em> I’ll keep you safe </em>.</p><p>And Gaetan takes a deep breath, and throws a punch.</p><p>Letho catches it with one hand, reaching out with his leg to sweep Gaetan’s ankles out from under him, sending the cat crashing to the floor where the viper can quickly fall onto him, knees either side, pinning his chest.</p><p>Gaetan struggles, and...laughs. Smiles at Letho with the eyes that chase birds across the walls. He holds Letho’s gaze for a moment, and then pushes against the ground, sliding out from under the larger witcher’s grip and pushing himself up to unbalance his opponent. </p><p>The fight carries on, victory passing like a ball between each fighter, sometimes Letho with the upper hand and sometimes Gaetan, but there’s no animosity. Both are smiling, Letho with a calm chuckle and Gaetan with an unleashed enthusiasm.</p><p>Letho gets him on his back again, and Gaetan purrs, biting at the viper’s shoulder but managing only to clamp his teeth down on air when Letho pushes on his forehead, slamming the head back against the stone.</p><p>“Nice try, Tiger.”</p><p>Gaetan kicks, flipping Letho over his head to land on his back behind him as he stands, turning at a crouch, fingers splayed like claws.</p><p>Eskel takes a small breath, and tenses his stance.</p><p>It’s clear from his eyes that Gaetan doesn’t have the reins anymore.</p><p>The fight gets faster, Gaetan a whirlwind of movement that he can’t possibly maintain, and that Letho can only barely dodge, gritting his teeth as nails scratch the skin of his arm, but shaking his head when Eskel steps forward. </p><p>He’s in control.</p><p>And sure enough Gaetan is soon tiring, falling against the ground with Letho on top of him.</p><p>And the viper starts...to kiss him.</p><p>He kisses his scalp, his forehead. “You’re safe.” His cheek, chin. “I’ve got you.” He kisses his neck. He kisses tears from Gaetan's eyes. He kisses his chest where the shirt has fallen open. “We protect each other.”</p><p>And with each kiss and whispered word, a part of Gaetan that has never been soothed finally starts to calm, until the cat is as good as boneless beneath the viper.</p><p>Letho kisses his forehead, then his mouth, before leaning back and slowly closing his eyes and opening them again.</p><p>Gaetan copies the gesture, before closing his eyes completely.</p><p>There is a noise on the edge of the room, and Letho looks round in time to make eye contact with Lambert as he and Ciri close the door.</p><p>Lambert looks back through the bars and acknowledges the viper with a nod before they leave. </p><p>They are not needed here now.</p><p>Slowly sitting the cat up with him, Letho reaches for the cloth, wetting it in igni heated water from the bucket and wiping at Gaetan’s face and neck. Cleaning him. Grooming him.</p><p>The eyes that look at him are still Gaetan’s, but they seem wider. Vulnerable in a way he has never seen. Not even when the cat was at his lowest. </p><p>The part of Gaetan’s personality that mutated with his body. The part that he constantly forces into shadows, starves of attention. </p><p>Of love. </p><p>Because it is anger. Anxiety. Intrusive thoughts. Primal instincts to hunt. To fight and keep fighting. To keep killing until the territory is safe.</p><p>In Honorton, that territory had been Gaetan’s body. The body they had hurt and tried to kill. And he had defended <em> that </em>territory until a little girl reminded him of his sister. </p><p>Yesterday, that territory was Gaetan’s family. His mentor. Threatened, tortured and reduced to the frightened, vulnerable individual that Keira had described. And with an overwhelming instinct to fight, he had fought.</p><p>And now, in this room, that same instinct looks down at the hand rested against his chest. The hand that will protect Gaetan’s body. That will protect Gaetan’s territory. That will protect Gaetan’s <em> family </em>.</p><p>That <em> is </em> Gaetan’s family. </p><p>Gaetan doesn't <em>need</em> to fight here.</p><p>The cat takes the cloth from Letho, swallows, and turns to look at Eskel. </p><p>No words are needed.</p><p>The wolf smiles as he approaches the pair and sits down, cross legged beside Letho. The smile remains as Gaetan rubs his cheek against Eskel’s own before re-wetting the cloth in the bucket. </p><p>Eskel's face is already clean, but that isn’t the point. </p><p><em> You’re mine </em> . Gaetan is saying, as he brings a gentle touch to Eskel’s cheek. <em> We keep each other safe. We look after each other. </em></p><p>Remembering what he has seen Letho do, Eskel slowly closes and opens his eyes, smiling when Gaetan does the same back. </p><p>Moving behind the wolf, Letho starts to gently run his fingers through Eskel’s hair, while Gaetan washes his hands, leaning down to kiss the fingers before rolling up Eskel’s sleeves and cleaning his arms in the same way that Letho had cleaned Gaetan’s on that first night.</p><p>They hold Eskel safe between them, kiss their wolf, and they look after each other.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>There’s no sex. Not tonight. Sometimes that is what they need to strengthen their bonds, and sometimes it is this. Laying on Eskel’s bed, Viper, Wolf and Cat. No one is really asleep, but neither are they awake. They drift with each other in a cornucopia of gentle touches, whispered voices and safety under the warm blankets.</p><p>It takes Letho a moment to realise that he doesn’t even know what is going on behind him in the room. Emhyr the fucking Hedgehog Prince himself could be standing behind him with a knife and he wouldn’t notice. </p><p>But he knows that Emhyr isn’t there. No one is. </p><p>This is Kaer Morhen. He is with Eskel and Gaetan. And he hasn’t been this safe, <em> felt </em>this safe, since before Gorthur Gvaed fell.</p><p>On Eskel’s other side, Gaetan is dozing, wrapped around Eskel with his face buried in the resting wolf’s shoulder, one hand on his chest to feel if the heart so much as <em> tries </em>to speed up with fear from a nightmare of worse. Letho is not surprised by the need to protect and be close. Gaetan is conscious of what happened yesterday, and he will do everything to make it up to Eskel now. </p><p>He reaches across Eskel, and runs a hand down the cat’s arm, smiling when Gaetan sleepily preens under the attention.</p><p>Letho smiles. </p><p>Everything feels right.</p><p>
  <strong>[Hello?]</strong>
</p><p>Rubbing at his eye, Letho looks down at the pile of clothes left in a haphazard carpet near the bed. “What?”</p><p>
  <strong>[Anyone there?]</strong>
</p><p>“Gaetan’s trousers are talking.” Letho looks back at Eskel. “Sounds like they’re from Mahakam.”</p><p>Climbing down to the foot of the bed, Eskel kneels next to the apparel and reaches into the pocket, pulling out the xenovox. “Zoltan?”</p><p><strong>[Eskel!]</strong> Zoltan chimes back. <strong>[Good to hear your voice again, ay. We're all set. Leaving for Kaer Morhen in the morning. Is...um...is Gaetan there?]</strong></p><p>“Yes.” Eskel turns to find his cat sitting up in bed, looking not at Eskel but at the xenovox as the wolves hands it to him. </p><p>
  <strong>[Gaetan, laddie. Someone just wanted to say goodnight.]</strong>
</p><p>A pause.</p><p>
  <strong>[Gaetan?]</strong>
</p><p>“Hey, Mad man.” Gaetan smiles, curling around the xenovox as Eskel sits on one side, Letho holding him from the other. </p><p><strong>[Can I read?]</strong> Kiyan asks.</p><p>“Sure.” Gaetan lays down, resting the xenovox on the pillow between himself and Letho. And they are together, two families miles apart, listening to the same quiet words telling stories of elvish culture.</p><p>And Gaetan daydreams. </p><p>He dreams of Kiyan by the fire with the others, all sitting with him the way they sat with Gaetan. Protecting him while he sleeps. </p><p>Sometimes he curls up in someone's lap, like how Gaetan curls up in Eskel’s, and he let's them stroke his hair.</p><p>Gaetan dreams of taking Kiyan to the hot springs, and helping him feel cared for.</p><p>He dreams of Kiyan enjoying extra fish...no, he will want bacon...with his breakfast.</p><p>He dreams of Kiyan training in the yard. </p><p>Of Keira making illusions for him to play in.</p><p>Of sitting with Lambert and making bombs.</p><p>Bringing him snacks during long sessions in the library. Maybe reading to him if he is tired.</p><p>He dreams of all the ways the family will help Kiyan. </p><p>The family that helped Gaetan.</p><p>Not a new Dyn Marv. Something else.</p><p>"He's fallen asleep." Letho says into the Xenovox.</p><p>
  <strong>[Goodnight.]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>[See you laddies in a few days.]</strong>
</p><p>A new chance.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Geralt slowly opens the door to his bedroom, looking left and right but finding no movement in the hall save for that of the light as Marlene moves on the other side of the kitchen door.</p><p>They really needed to discuss her sleeping schedule.</p><p>But that had been Ciri’s portal magic he had heard. Surely.</p><p>“Geralt?” Yennefer calls behind him.</p><p>Moving to the front door, Geralt opens it, and looks down at the doorstep. </p><p>A large jar sitting there.</p><p>Geralt blinks as Yennefer’s arm comes to wrap around him.</p><p>“Oh.” She says, lifting the jar. "What on earth is this?"</p><p>Geralt looks at her, and smiles. </p><p>They put the shaelmaar trophy on the display wall, and go back to bed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>&lt;3 &lt;3</p><p>And so we bring to an end what is, as it turns out, the first chapter of a much larger piece of work. Seriously I am getting so many ideas, but there's a lot of branches, and I feel this chapter brought things to a nice "jumping off" point &lt;3</p><p>Thank you so much to everyone who subscribed/kudosed/bookmarked/commented and read. I've never seen the hit counter jump so much before on one of my non-Geraskier fic. I'm a little blown away. </p><p>This is now a series, Children of Dyn Marv. Not sure what the future will be yet, my muse never shares her plans with me until the last minute, but probably a collection of multichapter WIPS and one shots like my last series because there are a lot of plot bats...or should I say plot cats...running around this one looking for love. &lt;3 &lt;3 &lt;3</p><p>Prompts are also welcome for consideration &lt;3</p><p>https://gilligangoodfellow.tumblr.com/</p><p>Signing off for now. Thank you again.</p><p> </p><p>  <b>OMG!!! I wrote out this whole author's note and didn't thank Embeer2004 for their beautiful renders!!!!  Thank you &lt;3 &lt;3 &lt;3 </b></p>
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